Liverpool Transfer Links Fit Arne Slot's Strategy

Arne Slot was hired by Liverpool for playing broadly similar football to Jürgen Klopp. The Reds might be keen to sign players to address one difference between them.

The January transfer window is open, not that you would know it based on the lack of activity by most clubs. There will likely be a flurry in the final few days of the month, though history suggests Liverpool are unlikely to make a signing unless their hand is forced by a rival.

The moves for Virgil van Dijk, Takumi Minamino and Cody Gakpo were completed within the first three days of their respective Januarys. Only Luis Díaz among significant signings joined at the end of the month, with Tottenham’s interest leading the Reds to sign a player they had earmarked as a summer purchase. If Liverpool haven’t moved yet, it’s likely they have nobody in mind.

But then that prediction is based on what has gone before. The key word for the Reds’ transfer strategy under the current back office regime has been ‘opportunistic’ ever since Richard Hughes mentioned it in Arne Slot’s first press conference at the club.

"It's a very talented squad. We need to improve, and with the window open, we will always be opportunistic." RICHARD HUGHES, JULY 2024

This mantra was brought up when news broke that Napoli were willing to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian winger whose name requires a copy and paste from Google when you’re writing about him. Journalist David Lynch confirmed Liverpool were interested in the 23-year-old, albeit Paris Saint-Germain appears to be his destination.

We can therefore file the ‘Kvaradona’ move under unlikely. This story was followed earlier this week by one from The Northern Echo entitled Liverpool could use Ben Doak in move for Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo. The paper covers Middlesbrough, hence their interest in the future of the Reds’ on-loan winger.

Irrespective of whether the Scot would be part of the deal or not, this is not the first time Semenyo has been reported to be of interest to Liverpool. Notably, he was signed by the Cherries during Hughes’ time there. This makes it easier to put two and two together with regards to the Reds’ supposed admiration of the player, regardless of whether that sum equals four or five in reality.

Let’s take the story at face value. If Liverpool are hoping to sign Kvaratskhelia or Semenyo, it’s worth looking at what they would add to the squad. The numbers show they would plug a gap which exists between the current Reds’ roster and the one with which Slot won the Eredivisie two years ago.