Liverpool transfer ‘stance’ revealed as ‘rejected’ update emerges

Liverpool will host Wolves in the FA Cup third round on Saturday night
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Liverpool’s upturn in results came to an end this week as they were humiliated in a 3-1 defeat to Brentford. The Reds had won four successive league matches prior to their trip to London.

Jurgen Klopp’s side put on an incredibly disappointing performance against the Bees and were lucky to see two goals disallowed by VAR, however still managed to ship in three after a poor defensive display. Liverpool had looked to be catching up to the Premier League’s top four but now remain four points behind Manchester United, who have a game in hand.

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With matches against the likes of Wolves and Everton coming up, Liverpool will be desperate to pick up some vital points while fans will be eager to see some new arrivals at the club. The Merseyside outfit have been heavily linked with a number of midfielders including Moises Caicedo and Matheus Nunes as they look to strengthen arguably their weakest position on the pitch, however concerns have been made about their transfer plans.

Ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Wolves this weekend, we take a look at the key headlines from Anfield.

Liverpool’s transfer ‘stance’

After a disappointing start to the season that has also been plagued with injuries across the squad, Liverpool fans have been begging Fenway Sports Group to invest in the team during the January transfer window - despite the inevitable sale of the club. However, it looks like the arrival of Cody Gakpo is the only one fans could see this month.

According to both CBS’ Ben Jacobs and The Times’ Paul Joyce, the Reds will not look at any transfers in January unless the ‘right name becomes available’ and they won’t buy ‘for the sake of it’. Liverpool have made their interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham clear and will look to lure him to Anfield in the summer, however the 19-year-old’s hefty price tag may have put them off spending any more money ahead of the next transfer window.

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Liverpool already surprised fans with Gakpo’s signing after the Dutchman had so long been linked with a move to United. Liverpool Echo claimed that Gakpo cost the Reds around £40m as he joined on a five-year deal - seven months after they spent a potential £85m on Darwin Nunez.

Gakpo lined up for debut

Cody Gakpo is now in line for his Liverpool debut, a week after signing for the club. The 23-year-old’s switch from PSV to Merseyside wasn’t made official to the January transfer window opened, however he was unable to finalise his work permit in time for Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford but will be available for this weekend’s tie with Wolves.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Gakpo is likely to make his first start in a Liverpool shirt, while Roberto Firmino could take up the central striker role ahead of Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah if he passes fit. Gakpo hasn’t scored a goal in club football since PSV’s win over Heerenveen at the start of October, however he will be eager to pick up where he left off with the Netherlands at the World Cup - netting three in their first three fixtures.

The report also claims that Gakpo and Firmino could line up next to Ben Doak who could also be handed his first start for the club after making his top flight debut in the Reds’ Boxing Day win over Aston Villa. The young winger has impressed since joining from Celtic last year, providing 14 goal contributions in 15 games for Liverpool’s youth sides this season.

Liverpool ‘turned down’ Nkunku

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RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku has been a target for a lot of clubs over the past year or so after scoring an impressive 35 goals in all competitions last season, as well as netting a further 16 this time round. While the 25-year-old’s move to Chelsea has now been all but confirmed, it could have turned out very differently for Nkunku.

According to the Daily Mail, the Reds turned down the opportunity to sign Nkunku, with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders themselves rejecting the potential transfer - despite his brilliant performances for Leipzig. Nkunku’s stats will certainly make sore viewing for Liverpool fans after they discover they could have seen him on Merseyside, however Chelsea were forced to pay £63m for his services - significantly more than the amount the Reds have paid for Gakpo this month, while the Dutchman is also two years younger.

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