Klopp Remains Unlikely To Sign New Defenders

Since coming to the club, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has remained steadfast in his long-term transfer policy. He doesn’t believe in quick fixes (Steven Caulker as a striker being the exception that proves the rule), and he won’t move for a short term solution this time, either.

Prior to the three to six week injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kloppo spoke about the potential problem of fixing the short-term injury crisis with a new signing.

“We have not a massive squad at the moment in training, but they are not out for long,” Klopp explained. “It’s not cool in this moment but in probably two weeks it looks completely different and I cannot make a decision for today and then in two weeks I created a problem with my decision today. We are fine.”

And then he let Nathaniel Clyne go out on loan. And then Trent got injured. Whether we like it or not, we will probably have to survive one or two more matches with either James Milner or Fabinho filling in out of position.

Despite the injury crisis getting worse, The Evening Standard reports that Klopp is standing firm.

“A season is always like this: who deals the best with his problems has the most success,” Klopp said in an interview ahead of this weekend’s showdown with Crystal Palace.

“We had problems in the past, we dealt very well with it, and now we have a few more different problems and we will deal well with that as well. Then, let’s play football, nothing else.”

With Liverpool out of the domestic cup competitions, and with Champions League action not resuming until late February, Liverpool are lucky that the current run of games allows a bit of time for recovery and training. Considering Joel Matip is already back and Joe Gomez is expected to be in contention in the next game or two, the injuries might just be spaced out enough to allow Klopp & Co. to continue ticking over.

However, if Klopp’s decision to not reinforce (and more bafflingly, to let Clyney go out on loan), ends up costing us points—and the title—there will be serious questions asked at the end of the season.

This is not to say that dipping into the market is always the solution. The reason Klopp’s transfer strategy has been so successful so far is precisely because of his long-term thinking, and making sure the incoming player is Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Now. And considering Liverpool’s substantial financial disadvantage (especially to FFP joke Manchester City), this strategy is not just a successful one, but necessary.

Get well soon, Trent (and Joe Go, and Degsy). And sooner would be better than later.