After the last day of the 2025 summer transfer window - when Liverpool was busy looking for a striker but could not bring in a defender - the winter market ended almost in reverse. They recruited a center-back, but still did not add a right-back.
Arne Slot's immediate problem is that although he has brought in Alexander Isak, this striker is currently injured, and the central defender Jeremy Jacquet contract will only join in the summer of 2026. Meanwhile, Marc Guehi - a target Liverpool dropped in September last year - will face them in Manchester City colors this weekend.
Lutsharel Geertruida, who played very well under Slot at Feyenoord, was seen as an emergency solution, but the deal to get him out of RB Leipzig through Sunderland was impossible.
Therefore, Dominik Szoboszlai - who used to play as a false striker when facing Man City a year ago - is likely to have to fill the right-back position in the upcoming match. Liverpool is making a transfer for the future, not to solve it right now. And just one more injury in defense, their season could completely turn into disappointment. As Slot admitted, keeping the remaining options healthy is an extremely difficult task.
The personnel situation makes Slot even more headache when Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are out for the rest of the season, and Jeremie Frimpong still has to be absent for a while longer. Joe Gomez - who often has physical problems - may only sit on the bench this weekend and is unlikely to start.
Ibrahima Konate even volunteered to return early from the holiday for personal reasons to be ready to face Newcastle last week. In fact, 3 different midfielders have had to retreat to play in the 4-man defense in the last two matches, and Liverpool has been criticized for neglecting urgent "loopholes", pushing Slot into a situation of shortage of players.
I am very satisfied with the squad, that's obvious. But clearly we have 3 long-term injuries. That's why we tried to strengthen in the winter, and the player you mentioned (Geertruida) finally couldn't join.
It is obvious that we are trying to add, and it shows that we believe it will help. But we must also recognize that we will not sign players who are not good enough to play for this club" - Slot refuted.
Of course, The Kop once believed that Guehi was good enough. They paid £35 million in the summer, but the delay was too long, causing Crystal Palace to withdraw because they could not find a replacement. By January, Liverpool also did not intervene when Man City bought the England international for £20 million, although they had reason to need him more, especially when Konate had a rather erratic season.
Man City may pay a higher salary in addition to the transfer fee. Liverpool is shifting direction to next season and the next generation. Jacquet is expected to spend about £55 million despite being only 20 years old.
Jacquet is still older than Leoni, if adding Noah Adekoya, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Liverpool are pursuing and may bring in up to 5 center-backs under 21 years old. This move shows that they have begun to look for a successor to Virgil van Dijk, even though Slot believes that his captain can stay longer than the remaining 16 months of contract.
Liverpool breathed a sigh of relief when Van Dijk could still play. Otherwise, Slot's problem would be even more difficult. "But clearly if we encounter a more serious injury crisis than the current one, things will be even more difficult. This squad can do better than what they have shown, but all players must maintain their fitness. And that will be a very big challenge when we have 3 matches in the next 7 days" - Slot admitted.
Even so, the Dutch captain still believes in Liverpool's strategy: "I always work in the same way. I always want the best for the club, even if in the short term it is not ideal for me. I know which club I go to, this is a team with a model of recruiting young talents".
However, in the short term, Slot's job will clearly be easier if Liverpool has Guehi and Geertruida.
