January Is Coming — Liverpool Must Act, and Not Everyone Will Like What Follows

Liverpool are approaching the January transfer window in a position that feels oddly familiar: improved on the pitch, but still unbalanced beneath the surface.

Arne Slot’s side have clawed their way back into the top four, momentum is building, and there is genuine optimism around players like Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. Yet anyone watching closely can see the fault lines. Injuries, contract uncertainty, and a squad stretched thinner than it should be for a club with Liverpool’s ambitions mean January is not optional — it is essential.

The question is no longer if Liverpool will act. It’s how decisively, and who pays the price.

Centre-Back: The Priority That Never Went Away

Let’s start with the obvious. Liverpool need a centre-back — and they needed one months ago.

Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending ACL injury has left Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté carrying a relentless load, with Joe Gomez once again caught between fitness issues and positional necessity. This was the gamble taken when Marc Guehi slipped through Liverpool’s fingers on deadline day.

January offers a second chance.

Guehi remains the standout option. Available for nothing in the summer, Crystal Palace risk losing their captain for free if they refuse to negotiate. Liverpool know it. Palace know it. And every game Guehi plays only reinforces why Liverpool identified him as their first-choice defensive addition.

If Palace dig in, Liverpool must pivot — but pivot smartly. Jan Paul van Hecke’s emergence at Brighton makes sense as a contingency, while Maxence Lacroix offers Premier League reliability if not perfection. What Liverpool cannot do is kick this problem into another window.

Attack: Reinforcement, Not Panic

Alexander Isak’s fractured fibula has changed the equation. With Mohamed Salah at AFCON and Cody Gakpo only just returning to fitness, Liverpool are one more injury away from a genuine attacking crisis.

Hugo Ekitike has been outstanding — but relying on him alone through January, league and Europe, would be reckless.

Antoine Semenyo was clearly part of Liverpool’s thinking, but if he chooses Manchester City, Liverpool must move on without regret. January is not the time to overpay for “almost right” players.

If the opportunity arises for a forward who can operate across the front line — whether that’s a Barcola-type profile or another elite wide option — Liverpool should act. Not to replace Salah, but to future-proof the attack.

Contracts: The Quiet Danger

Transfers grab headlines. Contracts quietly destabilise seasons.

Ibrahima Konaté entering the final six months of his deal without resolution is deeply concerning. Liverpool cannot allow another Trent-style saga to unfold. Either Konaté commits — or Liverpool must prepare for uncomfortable conversations.

This also applies to Salah, despite his recent return to form. The club insist they don’t want a January sale, but football history tells us that unhappy superstars rarely become less complicated with time.

January is not about selling Salah — but it may be about clarity.

Outgoings: Some Hard Truths

Not every decision in January will be popular.

Harvey Elliott’s situation at Aston Villa is untenable. If he isn’t playing there, he should be playing somewhere — whether that means returning to Liverpool or finding a new path permanently.

There are others hovering in limbo too: fringe squad players, stalled loans, young talents like Trey Nyoni who need minutes rather than applause. January must be about tightening, not hoarding.

Liverpool’s summer was about ambition. January must be about precision.

Liverpool are closer to where they want to be — but still one bad month away from chaos.

January won’t define the season on its own. But failing to act properly might.

A centre-back is non-negotiable.
An attacking option is highly likely.
Contract clarity is overdue.

This is not a window for sentiment or hesitation.
It’s a window for Liverpool to show they’ve learned.