LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Liverpool are unlikely to sign more players in the January transfer window, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday ahead of his side’s Premier League match away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Liverpool signed Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for a reported initial fee of 37 million pounds ($45 million) earlier in the transfer window and recalled young defender Billy Koumetio from his loan spell with Austria Vienna.
Yet their inconsistent form this season has led to speculation that the club would be more active in the market, especially in midfield where they have looked vulnerable.
The Merseyside club have been linked with several players, including Jude Bellingham, Joao Gomes, Josko Gvardiol and Sofyan Amrabat.
“I don’t think so,” Klopp told reporters when asked about any more potential signings. “I talk about it because you ask but my job is to use the boys we have. No problem.
“We cannot solve all problems in the transfer market. I know in dreamland you would just buy players and solves all problems but I don’t see that coming.”
“It’s not that we have so much money we don’t know what to do with but we think ‘ah we don’t need anyone’,” he added.
“It’s just not that easy, we cannot sort the problems (in the window) with injuries. The transfer market is not the solution at this moment.”
Klopp said the management will assess the fitness of Darwin Nunez ahead of Saturday’s trip after the striker missed training due to a minor issue.
“If he cannot train today then, yes, that would rule him out,” Klopp said. “We are waiting for the latest information, it is not a major one.”
James Milner is set to return after recovering from a thigh injury but Roberto Firmino remains absent, having not featured since the season restarted last month due to an injury sustained in training.
“In the first moment, it was like a little injury where the estimate (was) 10 days, two weeks. He did the normal rehab stuff.. and then Bobby felt again something that kept him out then for longer.
“I don’t know exactly when he will be back, but he’s not close to team training.”
($1 = 0.8211 pounds)
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
