From the euphoria of a hard-fought win in their Capital One Cup semi-final first leg win away at Stoke, Liverpool have been sent crashing back down to earth with yet more injury set-backs.
Both Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren limped from the Britannia Stadium turf in the first half of the 1-0 win with suspected hamstring problems, swelling Jurgen Klopp’s absentee list to double figures.
Add to this the fact that Kolo Toure looked in discomfort when he walked off after the final whistle and the worrying sight of clashes with Arsenal and Manchester United next week and its feasible to see Liverpool entering two of their biggest matches in recent months without an orthodox centre-back pairing or, arguably, their best player.
Perhaps the only positive is these issues cropping up in January, a time in which the transfer window is open wide. With that in mind, Klopp –
who has alluded to making signings following the Stoke game – may be able to add one or two names to his ranks in the coming days to ease mounting concerns, and here are FIVE quick fixes…
Joel Matip
A good option from the off for Klopp would be Matip. Reports have claimed that a pre-contract agreement ahead of a free summer transfer – when the Cameroonian’s Schalke contract expires – is the ultimate plan, but with the quantity and severity of injuries at Anfield surely paying a little extra now to get the 24-year-old in makes sense.
Matip, as the above stats from OuLaLa.com show has out-performed Klopp’s recent pairing of Sakho and Lovren, while his pace and stature (he stands at 6ft. 4”) suggests that he’s tailor-made for Premier League football. Further to this, the Bundesliga star can also fill in at full-back and in defensive midfield, which could be useful with the Reds still involved in four competitions this term.
Neven Subotic
As far as emergency signings go, Klopp could, arguably, do no better than Subotic this month. While other targets may be more glamorous, the Serbian appears distinctly ‘gettable’ due to his first-team problems, has worked under the Liverpool chief during their time together at Dortmund, is experienced at the very highest level and could be, according to reports, available at a knock-down rate.
The Serbia international is undoubtedly a quality addition, but it remains to be seen as to whether or not Klopp is willing to head back to his old side to snap up some of his once key players – which may have an effect on his reputation in his homeland.
Alas, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Tiago Ilori
Not a transfer per-se, but (cliché alert) with Ilori having not played a single game for the Reds he would be ‘like a new signing’. The Portuguese youngster is currently on loan at Aston Villa, but with the seemingly doomed Villans having not yet used him in competitive action, it’s already being claimed that an agreement between the clubs involved could see him return to Anfield.
Ilori arrived from Sporting Lisbon in 2013 with a stellar reputation and shone for his nation’s U-21 during the summer’s European Championships, so it’s clear that he has potential, but his inability to make an impact at Villa is, perhaps, a worry. But, the 22-year-old could be useful in the short-term as cover and may be able to play a part in Europa League action as he remains eligible.
Giuseppe Rossi
Signing an injury-ravaged star to ease an injury crisis may seem counter-productive, but the addition of Italy international Rossi this month would be relatively risk-free. The 28-year-old has been told that he’s free to leave Fiorentina on loan for the remainder of the season as he targets first-team football ahead of the EUROs this summer, so as short-term cover the once Manchester United trainee makes sense.
Rossi has managed to stay fit after injury ruined his 2014/15 season, and when available he’s a proven goalscorer in Spain and Italy. With Liverpool lacking goals – they’re the least effective side at finding the net in the Premier League’s top nine – some cover for the always out-of-action Daniel Sturridge may be appealing, while Rossi can also play from a wider role.
Sofiane Feghouli
With Liverpool lacking creativity and Coutinho now on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, perhaps getting another player to support the attack could make sense for Klopp. Although there haven’t been any genuine links, Valencia’s Feghouli is an interesting proposition, with the Algerian out of contract at the end of the season.
The Spanish giants are, naturally, desperate to keep him, but the 26-year-old has stalled on negotiations surrounding extending his stay, so there may be a temptation to sell him below his true worth before the window closes. Liverpool would be getting a talented and pacey attacking midfielder while also robbing old an old enemy, Gary Neville (who is in charge at the Mestalla), of one of his key names in the process…
