It started off so brightly, but the winter transfer window ended on a real downer for Liverpool.
After setting a club record fee with the signing of Virgil van Dijk, things looked really positive, but that positively quickly turned to despair when Philippe Coutinho was sold just days later.
That sadness could have been diverted with a new signing to replace the Brazilian, but after a month filled with countless rumours and so many different reports, Liverpool will finish the season without a Coutinho replacement.
There’s no two ways about it, this should have never had happened.
Liverpool have had since the summer to come up with a Coutinho replacement and to sell one of your best players halfway through the season without having somebody lined up is disgraceful. This isn’t how big club act. Even Leicester City stood firm and kept their best player, Riyad Mahrez.
When Arsenal sold their best player, Alexis Sanchez, they got Henrikh Mkhitaryan in return. All of the other top six clubs also strengthened their squads while Liverpool just sat on their hands doing nothing.
Manchester City have basically won the league and they still strengthened their team, having spent £57 million on Aymeric Laporte. Not being able to buy top players in January is a complete myth.
So now what? Having lost in the FA Cup against West Brom, Liverpool will most likely go another trophyless year, making it seven years since Liverpool lifted the League Cup in 2012. For a club the size of Liverpool, that is truly unacceptable.
But Liverpool are still in a good place in the league table right now and if a new signing was brought in ,then maybe that could have given the side that extra boost to finish the season strong. It’s just so frustrating because Liverpool are so close to becoming a top team. Just a few more players could make Liverpool one of Europe’s best again, so not taking the chance to strengthen in January is very risky. One won’t be able to help but think what could have been if the Reds do fail to make it into the Champions League.
This is a crucial point in Liverpool’s development under Jürgen Klopp and not acting in the transfer window is a risk that could set the club back years. Action was needed to be taken and whether you think it’s Klopp’s fault or FSG’s fault, Liverpool have been let down this window and if a top four place is not achieved this season, then all fans will point to January as to the reason why.
However, what’s done is done now and the current squad will be the one to finish the season. There is a lot on the line in the next four months so hopefully Klopp’s gamble will pay off or serious questions will be made of his decision-making.
Make top four and sign his top targets in the summer and Klopp looks like a genius and all is good in the world of Liverpool. Fail to make top four and the German will be heavily criticized for not taking action in January.
As an instant reaction, this window has been a very disappointing one, but the only way to truly deem the winter window a successful or a failure is to wait and see what happens in May.
Only time will tell.
