Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp won’t want to lose a key player in his current squad, but reports claim such a blow could be softened with an important promise from the club.
After a summer-long transfer saga involving Philippe Coutinho and a possible move to Barcelona, The Mirror claim that a £130m bid could be made by the Catalan giants in January and a sale may go through this time.
The two clubs failed to reach an agreement in the last transfer window, and so ultimately Coutinho remained at Anfield and has since reintegrated back into the line-up and has been a key figure for Klopp.
It comes even after the Brazilian international handed in a transfer request, as per BBC Sport, but to his credit he has shown his professionalism by putting that behind him and getting back to his high levels from last season with four goals and three assists in nine appearances in all competitions so far this year.
However, in the event that they do sell him for £130m, it’s claimed by the Mirror that the money will be reinvested in the squad as a ‘promise from the Liverpool board’, with a £70m bid for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk high on the priority list and that would without doubt be a smart first move with such a transfer war chest.
Liverpool have conceded 16 goals in 10 Premier League games so far this season, which is 10 more than leaders Man City. Klopp will be buoyed by the fact that they were able to put their nightmare at Tottenham behind them though as they kept a clean sheet against Huddersfield Town in a 3-0 win at Anfield on Saturday.
Nevertheless, a long-term solution to the problem will still be needed as these defensive problems date back to last season. Although there is no guarantee that the addition of one defender will solve the problem, Van Dijk would bring experience, defensive solidity and composure to the Liverpool backline if he joined and that would be a huge bonus in itself.
The remainder of the possible £130m budget would surely go on trying to replace Coutinho, and that is undoubtedly easier said than done as the 25-year-old has firmly established himself as a key component at Anfield in Liverpool’s pursuit of success.