Liverpool is currently ranked sixth in the Premier League and outside the Champions League group. Notably, their only move in this transfer window is to sign a center-back worth 60 million pounds.
The decision to sign Jeremy Jacquet shows Liverpool's steadfastness in the long-term rebuilding plan, and sends a clear message to Arne Slot. If he wants to save a disappointing season, he will have to find a solution from the team's internal strength.
Still fighting in both European and domestic cups, Liverpool has not run out of opportunities to create a brilliant ending. However, the most urgent problems at this time come from the personnel crisis in the defense, when injuries continuously surround them.
In the right-back position, Conor Bradley is out for the rest of the season, and Jeremie Frimpong is also having physical problems. In that context, Dominik Szoboszlai - Liverpool's most outstanding player this season - is forced to be pulled back to play against his forte.
The situation in the center of the defense is also not more optimistic as Giovanni Leoni has to take a long-term break. Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo once had to reluctantly play as a pair in defense, and Ibrahima Konate even had to shorten his leave for personal reasons to be present in the victory against Newcastle.
Therefore, missing Marc Guehi is still a hard-to-swallow disappointment. The deal failed on the last day of the summer transfer window enough to make Liverpool fans annoyed, and his move to Manchester City in this transfer window is even more like rubbing salt into a wound.
Man City is praised for signing Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, because they immediately increased the quality of the squad thanks to their rich experience in the Premier League. This also exposes Liverpool's core problem when they are in the middle of the transition process.
Last season's championship, once seen as the beginning of a new era under Slot, now has the appearance of a farewell to the old era. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah - two icons at Anfield - have signed new contracts, but along with Alisson, all three have turned 33.
Liverpool's leadership understands that they must build a generation of successors. Signing Alexander Isak is still considered too expensive, but other deals in the summer are suitable for the long-term orientation.
Hugo Ekitike (23 years old) and Florian Wirtz (22 years old) are special talents, with the peak of their careers still ahead. Milos Kerkez was also chosen as a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson.
This is the type of shopping that Michael Edwards used to apply to bring Liverpool to the next level under Jurgen Klopp. However, the Jacquet deal will be a trade-off. The young French center-back is highly appreciated and has affirmed his position at Rennes, in a physically friendly environment. But along with that potential is an undeniable risk.
When recruiting a player who has only made 31 appearances in the top league, everything is still uncertain. Like Leoni's serious injury, any factor - from form, fitness to the time sitting on the bench - can strongly impact the development trajectory.
With Jacquet, expectations may be so high that it is possible that he will partner with Van Dijk right from August, and gradually become a new symbol at Anfield. Richard Hughes and the board of directors have the right to be optimistic that long-term vision will be rewarded.
But with Slot, he can hardly look that far. "We are trying to strengthen the squad, not weaken it" - he said before the last day of the January transfer window. And finally, the winter market closed without Liverpool having any further reinforcements for the second half of the season.
Slot's future can completely be decided right in this stage. Liverpool can still win the Champions League, or even not qualify to participate. After all the discussions about the transfer stage, the answer, as always, must still be found on the pitch.
