Jurgen Klopp will regret not adding in January transfer market

Jurgen Klopp has bemoaned the state of the January transfer market, but he will look back with regret if Reds fail to add much-needed depth.

Liverpool’s title hopes have taken a massive blow since the start of 2017.

Gone is the confident, swaggering team that took the league by storm in the first half, and instead remains a squad lacking for confidence, depth, and ideas.

It was always going to be difficult with AFCON 2017 taking away arguably Liverpool’s most influential attacker, Sadio Mané on international duty.

We’ve broken down multiple targets that Liverpool have had over the months, from the ideal candidates, like Quincy Promes, to lesser known commodities, in Sardar Azmoun.

Klopp has not been able to add during this January transfer window, and Liverpool will continue to struggle until they do.

Klopp, who has begrudged the English press’ “obsession” with transfers, spoke out the inability of the club to make anything happen in the January transfer market.

While he admitted that Liverpool want to add in January, getting teams to sell is the tricky part.

"“I understand it is absolutely normal that people ask whether we should have brought players in. The situation is yes, on the one side pretty simple, but on the other hand it is pretty difficult.“It is not that we don’t want to bring players in — we do — but the thing is, the players we want because we think they help us, the clubs don’t sell. It is not about money in this situation, it is the winter transfer window.“Clubs are saying: ‘No, we have half a year to go. We cannot find another player like this. We prefer to take money in the summer than a few pounds more in the winter than whatever.’ So it is pretty easy. You see the situation.“It’s tight, it’s close, we know that, but if the right decision is not possible in signing the right player then you cannot make the wrong transfer.”"

Liverpool are not a club that can splash around ridiculous sums of cash and deal with the consequences later.

They have to be sure they spend their money correctly and intelligently.

The way that Jurgen Klopp goes about his business and builds his squad is admirable, never shying away from playing young players in vital positions in crucial games, but he and the board have left the squad short on depth.

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Jurgen Klopp is clear, “you cannot make the wrong transfer” either at this moment in time or in relation to the club’s finances.

Klopp is correct here. Obviously a transfer like Lazar Markovic would not help his squad and be a waste of money and time.

It’s clear that Klopp likes his squad, and he should, but he needs reinforcements.

"“It is not as if there are 20 players out there who could make this team stronger, who are running around and are available. That is the situation.“That is why I say we know the situation, we are prepared to move, but for the right player. We are not the only side who can decide the outcome of that, though, are we? The selling club makes the decision too.”"

The January transfer market is a pretty flawed beast. It’s the middle of the season and clubs don’t have much incentive to sell unless players force a move (Jose Fonte) or aren’t a major factor for that club anyways (Memphis Depay).

If you look at two of Liverpool’s rumoured main transfer targets, Quincy Promes and Leon Bailey, both of their team’s, Spartak Moscow and Genk, are in first place in their respective leagues.

These are examples, and perhaps overly simplistic, but why would teams sell crucial players in the middle of the season, possibly sacrificing trophies, when they can wait until the summer.

The January transfer market is flawed, perhaps even detrimental, but in Liverpool’s case when additions are absolutely necessary, you have to go above and beyond.

Liverpool are not out of the title race, but January has not been kind to them.

Hopefully new additions are on the way, or Senegal are knocked out of AFCON soon, as the squad appears to need an injection of depth or new inspiration.