After the summer deadline day defined by the striker Liverpool bought and the defender they did not, the January transfer window ended with the centre-back they recruited and the right-back they did not.
The immediate problem for Arne Slot is that, while he acquired Alexander Isak, he is now injured and while Liverpool have just secured the signature of Jeremy Jacquet, he will not arrive until the summer. But Marc Guehi, who eluded Liverpool in September, will instead face them in the colours of Manchester City on Sunday. Lutsharel Geertruida, who excelled for Slot at Feyenoord, was targeted as an emergency addition, but it proved impossible to get him from RB Leipzig via Sunderland and he could be on the opposite side on Wednesday.
And so Dominik Szoboszlai, who played as a false nine against City a year ago, is likely to line up at right-back against them on Sunday. Liverpool have conducted their transfer business for the future, but not for the present. Slot may be one more defensive injury away from seeing Liverpool’s season condemned to disappointment. As he admitted, it is a task simply keeping his remaining options fit.
Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are out for the season, Jeremie Frimpong for a while yet. The injury-prone Joe Gomez may be able to be on the bench on Sunday, but he will not start. Ibrahima Konate volunteered to return early from compassionate leave after the death of his father to face Newcastle last week. Three different midfielders have operated in the back four in the last two games. Liverpool stand accused of neglecting the immediate issues and leaving Slot short-staffed.
“I’m very happy with the squad, let that be clear,” countered Slot. “But it’s all clear and obvious that we have three long-term injuries. That’s why we’ve tried to strengthen the squad in winter and the player you mentioned [Geertruida], in the end, wasn’t available. But that we’ve tried to strengthen the squad; that is clear. And that tells you that we think that it would have helped us. But it should be possible that we’re not going to sign players that are not good enough to play for this club.”
Of course, Liverpool did think Guehi was good enough. They bid £35m in the summer; yet they left their move so late that Crystal Palace pulled out when they could not get a replacement. They did not intervene when City bought the England international for £20m in January, although there was a case that their need for him was greater, with Konate enduring a distinctly mixed campaign.
City could fund bigger wages in addition to a transfer fee. Liverpool shifted their attention to next season and the next generation. Jacquet will cost £55m, but is just 20. “A very big talent,” said Slot. Jacquet is still older than Leoni; when you include Noah Adekoya, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Liverpool are bringing in five centre-backs under 21. They are searching for Virgil van Dijk’s successor even as Slot suggested his captain could stay for “maybe even longer” than the remaining 16 months of his deal.
“This club is not stupid,” he said. “We do know somewhere in the upcoming years, there is life for this club after Virgil.” Yet life now is ever more reliant on Van Dijk. The 34-year-old has played every minute of all 32 Premier and Champions League matches this season. “What a compliment to him at his age to play every three days,” said Slot.
What a relief for Liverpool that he can. The alternative could make Slot’s job all the harder. “But it’s clear and obvious that if we have an injury crisis, even more than we already have, then that makes things even more difficult,” he said. “So we know what the situation is, but this squad is able to do better and more than we’ve done until now, in my opinion. But then they all need to stay available, and that’s going to be a hell of a challenge because we have three games in seven days coming up.”
There is a contrast with City who, when John Stones, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias were sidelined, swooped for Guehi. The England international was a long-term target for both clubs. He is also 25, experienced in the Premier League, able to slot in straight away.
Like Leoni, Jacquet will come from another country, earlier in his career, perhaps needing time to adjust. They could be the successors to Van Dijk and Konate.
For different reasons, Slot can call upon neither now. He nevertheless insisted he buys into Liverpool’s strategy. “I have always worked the same. I always want the best for the club, even if in the short term it is not ideal for me,” he said. “I knew which club I went into; this club has a model of signing talented players younger.”
In the short term, though, his life may be easier if he had Guehi and Geertruida, the defenders who Liverpool missed out on at the end of either window.
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