Jurgen Klopp is finding himself in a predicament that he has rarely been in during his time at Liverpool.
The Reds were handed another defeat at the weekend with a 2-1 loss to Leeds United at Anfield. It was their fourth loss in the Premier League this term which leaves them ninth in the table.
Liverpool’s season will come to a halt in a couple of weeks while the World Cup takes place in Qatar. It has already been confirmed that those in the squad who are not taking part in the tournament will be involved in a ‘pre-season style’ training camp in Dubai, with friendlies against AC Milan and Lyon expected.
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While work will continue on the pitch over the course of November and December, there may also be some off-field matters being discussed. Namely, what could happen in the January transfer window.
Talk has already accelerated in recent days over whether the club should bring in new faces for when the domestic season resumes in the New Year. In particular, midfield is the area that has been argued as the area for greatest need of reinforcements, after the lack of investment in the summer.
Here, we take a look at some midfield options who Liverpool and Klopp could potentially consider...
Konrad Laimer
One player who is thought to have been of interest to Liverpool in the summer is Konrad Laimer. The RB Leipzig midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Anfield in the last transfer window, but could that be reignited in January?
Laimer’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Leipzig did not want to sell the player in the summer, but that may mean they lose him for free at the start of next term unless they do a deal in the forthcoming window. Bayern Munich are the club who have been widely reported as leading the chase for the player’s signature.
However, Laimer is currently sidelined with a serious ankle injury, and is not likely to return until after the World Cup. That will certainly be an issue for any club wishing to sign the player in the New Year.
Houssem Aouar
Liverpool fans who can recall speculation during the windows of 2019 and 2020 will be familiar with Houssem Aouar. The Reds were linked with the Lyon midfielder during that period, but no deal materialised.
After starring for the French club in the Champions League, Aouar was regarded as one of the brightest midfield talents in Europe. The past couple of seasons have seen his reputation diminish somewhat, but the talent is certainly still there.
The player claimed in 2019 that Liverpool were interested in signing him back in 2016, before he signed his first professional contract with Lyon. Explaining why he rejected that apparent offer, Aouar said: "Before I signed my first professional contract with Lyon in July 2016, Liverpool were interested in me. I thought about it hard with those close to me on the decision I needed to take, what was better for my progression. And I opted for Lyon because it is the club of my heart and my aim was to succeed here, in my city.”
There were rumours of a potential move to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest in the summer, although this never actually happened. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Liverpool could perhaps consider a move for the 24-year-old when the transfer window reopens.
Florian Neuhaus
Yet another player who has previously been linked with Liverpool is Florian Neuhaus. The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder was credited as a potential target for the Reds back in 2020, and the links may have quietened down but have never really gone away.
The Reds were admirers of the player, and it was thought that they were keeping an eye on his performances for Germany at the European Championships in 2021. However, Neuhaus did not feature much for his country, and in the end Liverpool opted not to make a move.
Now, though, with the midfield landscape changing and an increasing demand for reinforcements, could Liverpool reignite their interest in Neuhaus? Klopp will certainly be aware of the player, but whether it’s enough to organise a deal to sign him in January is another matter.
Enzo Le Fee
Liverpool will be busy scouting the markets across Europe for potential talent. In France, there is one who could be worth looking at for January.
Lorient midfielder Enzo Le Fee is certainly impressing in Ligue 1, and could well fit the bill for what the Reds are after. At the age of 22, he has missed just 15 minutes of league football so far this season, and has proved himself to be a versatile option in the middle of the park.
Le Fee was heavily linked with a move away from Lorient in the summer, but no move ever materialised. But he certainly appears to be on the radar of some top clubs across Europe.
The player’s agent, Emmanuel Lacroix, told RMC Sport in the summer that Le Fee’s dream was to play for Barcelona.
“But whether Enzo plays in France, Germany or elsewhere next season, I am sure of his success,” said Lacroix. “He's a different player, a different boy. He is 100% focused on his goals and I am convinced that one day he will play for the club of his dreams: FC Barcelona.”
Mahmoud Dahoud
If you were to rewind back to 2016/17, then one of the names heavily linked with a move to Liverpool was Mahmoud Dahoud. Then at Borussia Monchengladbach, Klopp was thought to be an admirer of the player and was apparently keen to bring him to Anfield.
That didn’t happen, and in the end Dahoud would join Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Since then, any noise of Liverpool showing interest in the midfielder has been silenced, and he remains with the Bundesliga club to this day.
Could this January be the time to reignite an interest in a player that is still only 26 years old? He is within the final year of his contract and it remains to be seen whether Dahoud will commit his future to Dortmund in the coming months.
However, Dahoud is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury which he picked up in the early weeks of the season, and hasn’t played since mid-August. We have to wait to find out if he’ll be involved with Germany at the World Cup, but if he’s not then a lack of match fitness could play a role in deciding whether or not to make a move for the player.
Maxence Caqueret
While Aouar may be the more familiar name, one of his Lyon team-mates is certainly earning plenty of suitors. Midfielder Maxence Caqueret is a player who has grown in importance at the French club in recent seasons.
The 22-year-old has played in all but one of Lyon’s Ligue 1 fixtures this term, becoming a key part of the French club’s midfield. He has just one goal to his name in his 102 appearances to date, but given he operates in a more defensive role this is to be expected.
Caqueret has not really been linked with a move away from Lyon in recent months, but there is clearly talent there. Given the worry over Fabinho’s performances in holding midfield, Liverpool may well be looking at an option in the position to provide the Brazilian with some competition.
This could be where Caqueret comes into the picture. Given that the big-name signing of Aurelien Tchouameni did not happen, and there are question marks over what may happen with Jude Bellingham, a more budget-friendly option like Caqueret could be worth considering in the New Year.
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