Klopp Talks Transfers

With the January transfer window opening in a few days, each morning seems to bring with it a half-dozen new players meant to be signing for Liverpool in the next month. Yet the last few Januaries, nothing much has come of all the rumour mongering.

With a new manager in charge this time around, though, many are expecting funds to have been made available for Jürgen Klopp to strengthen the squad if he so chooses. It may still end up in a whole lot of nothing happening, but for the next few days at least the possibilities seem endless.

"They are from Schalke, right?" Klopp said with a laugh when asked by Bild about recent rumours of interest in Joel Matip and Leroy Sane. "It seems we are under scrutiny everywhere, but I don’t have to look to bring in players from the Bundesliga for next year, believe me."

Klopp and Liverpool may not have to bring in players from the Bundesliga, but few would be especially surprised if they did. And at least in the case of Matip, who has been reliably linked by journalists with ties to the club, few would be surprised by a January arrival.

Still, the money available to Premier League sides should mean that Klopp won’t be restricted in where he does his shopping for players. Dortmund may have been a rich club by Bundesliga standards, but Liverpool’s transfer dealings have dwarfed theirs in recent seasons.

The rumour mongering may get a little silly at times, but if a need has been identified by Klopp—if he has already decided a position needs improving or player needs replacing—the money should be there for him to make whatever signing he wants, even in January.

Most have speculated a position identified for improvement will have been goalkeeper, and so the club has been linked with moves for Marc Andre ter Stegen, Timo Horn, Bernd Leno, and Steve Mandanda in recent weeks. Klopp, though, wasn’t giving any insight there, either.

"You can say ten times you won’t sign a new goalkeeper and the papers will write the next day that you’re interested in signing one or even two," added the new Liverpool manager, who has in recent weeks found his club linked with a string of goalkeepers.

Like when asked about Schalke’s duo, it can as easily be seen as avoidance as denial. And whichever way it’s actually meant, it seems likeliest Liverpool will be linked with another two goalkeepers tomorrow. Such is transfer season in England.