Jurgen Klopp only requested one thing from Liverpool in the January transfer window, according to reports. The boss saw what was needed.
This comes from the Athletic. They claim that Jurgen Klopp only had one request for the January transfer window – and it wasn’t a midfielder.
In fact, Liverpool did deliver on that one request. Klopp was eager to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven as he felt the squad would ‘most benefit’ from a new attacker.
His thinking was heavily influenced by injuries to Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota. Both players have been out for months and we’re unlikely to see the former until sometime in March. Jota could return this month – but we’ll need to see.
And so with Liverpool short up top, Klopp wanted a new forward to boost his options. Liverpool went out and signed Gakpo for around £37m – and the boss had what he asked for.
Jurgen Klopp had one Liverpool request
We can appreciate seeing his gameplan go up in flames with two long-term injuries. There’s a solid argument that Liverpool did need Gakpo in order to overcome an injury crisis.
But we also find it bizarre that a midfielder wasn’t the priority. As the Athletic’s report points out, Liverpool didn’t prioritise one in the summer and found that to be a mistake. They didn’t prioritise one here, either, and we expect that to look like a mistake.
Of course, Liverpool won’t make that mistake in the summer. They will move for an elite midfielder and their obsession with Jude Bellingham is clear for all to see. They’ll go for him – now they better hope they get him.
Because if Liverpool don’t end up with Bellingham, the last two transfer windows will look like disasters. Preventable disasters, too. There’s a lot riding on that 19-year-old picking Anfield.