Liverpool have been predictably quiet in the January transfer window so far despite a lengthening list of problems.
It is not in the Reds’ make-up to be reactive in the market, and they are always determined not to succumb to pressure of knee-jerk reactions.
While that is an admirable stance to take, and one which has often paid dividends for Liverpool, it has also cost them in the past well.
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Conor Bradley could be out for a LONG time. Who is your ideal replacement? 🤕
Should Liverpool sign a right-back in January, or rely on the injury-prone Gomez as cover?
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Take the summer of 2020/21, for example, when the Reds failed to replace Dejan Lovren and went into the season with three senior centre-backs. All were injured before the January transfer window, but the Reds still failed to adequately invest during the winter market.
The circumstances may be different this time, but if Liverpool do not change their stance and replace the injured Conor Bradley this January, they are running a needless risk of tanking their season again.
Liverpool have to buy defensive cover
Liverpool showed last summer that it is possible to make too many changes during a single transfer window. However, if they go into the market now it is not a case of overkill.
With Giovanni Leoni out for the season and question marks over the fitness and futures of Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, Liverpool should have signed a new centre-back on January 1st.
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READ MORE: Who are Liverpool’s three right-back options for the rest of the season after Conor Bradley blow
Now that Bradley will miss the rest of the season, Liverpool are relying on the injury-prone Gomez to cover centre-back and right-back at the same time. The numbers simply do not add up.
As the Daily Mail point out in an article following the revelation of Bradley’s knee injury, Liverpool have ‘remained firm’ on their stance that there will be no incoming business in January regardless of their injury issues.
To maintain that stance in the face of their numbers dwindling badly is simply not good enough. It will end up costing Liverpool, and it will have been entirely preventable.
Where should Calvin Ramsay now rank in Liverpool’s right-back options?
Conor Bradley won’t play again this term…
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Dan Istitene
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January is not an easy market to buy players in, but Liverpool have moved targets forward from the summer before. They are going to have to do so again and sign either a right-back or a centre-back or simply accept that they are going nowhere this term.
Liverpool likely to be negligent again
There was a fair argument that despite Liverpool’s copious business over the summer, they actually left themselves short in certain areas once again.
Despite that being proven beyond any reasonable doubt, most Liverpool fans will expect the club to double down and do the same this January.
With more than two weeks left of the window, there is no excuse for that happening. They can see the lay of the land and have plenty of time to rectify it.
Of course, Liverpool have sprung surprises in transfer windows gone by as well, and you can never truly rule that out. But for the time being, the direction of travel seems to be that the Reds will not strengthen.
That is not good enough, and after such a disappointing season already, it will cause Liverpool to drift even further away from their rivals.
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