They’ve been counting down the days here in the Football Transfer Tavern and luckily enough for our Liverpool supporters, they only have to wait three more days until Jurgen Klopp takes to the touchline for the first time as Reds boss.
Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the early game at Saturday lunchtime, Klopp faces a Spurs side that Liverpool have beaten the last five times they’ve faced their North London opposition with even Mario Balotelli being able to down Mauricio Pochettino’s side at Anfield last term!
That said, the game is a stiff test as Klopp’s first game in charge and everybody is waiting with baited breath to see which tactics he enforces, which personnel he uses and ultimately, how competitive the Reds look under his tutelage.
In recent days, most talk around the bar has been about which Borussia Dortmund players could end up following Klopp to the Kop but with the new Reds boss distancing himself from poaching the cream of the crop from Signal Iduna Park, perhaps he wants to be respectful to his former employers.
At the same time, while Klopp of course boasts a fantastic knowledge about certain players he used to manage at Dortmund, he’ll also have an inside-track knowledge on several other Bundesliga stars who are perhaps lesser known on these shores.
While he may swoop for a few of his former Dortmund players, he may also choose to opt to sign new blood from the likes of Hoffenheim, Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen to boot!
Liverpool legend John Barnes spoke to the Mirror about Liverpool and their transfer situation, saying: “Is Liverpool’s potential good enough to win the league? I don’t think so. We still need better players and I think one of the reasons he has been brought in is because of his knowledge of good, young German players. That’s what it is going to take.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five Bundesliga stars new Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could sign in January.
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Leroy Sane
With Schalke’s golden boy from recent seasons now moved on to Wolfsburg for big money in the form of Julian Draxler, a plethora of talented young players still remain at the Veltins Arena such as Max Meyer, Leon Goretzka and this man, Leroy Sane.
Reportedly a failed £11 million target for the Reds under the Brendan Rodgers regime in the summer, with Jurgen Klopp now on board, club fanzines such as This Is Anfield are now pondering whether the club could revive a swoop.
Only breaking into the Miners’ first team squads last year, Sane is a pacey winger who can play on the flanks and after all, if Draxler was only valued at £25 million when they sold him to Wolfsburg as Kevin De Bruyne’s replacement, surely Sane could be attainable for under that price?
Ilkay Gundogan
The transfer talk went into overdrive a few days ago when Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan posted a message on social media which endorsed Klopp’s appointment at Liverpool, not to mention his opinion that the Reds are undoubtedly a big club.
One of those things which is probably totally innocent, yet absolute gold for the tabloids in terms of creating a transfer story out of it, there is no doubting that Gundogan would be a welcome reinforcement at Anfield however.
In James Milner and Jordan Henderson, Liverpool currently have two hard-working good professionals but one of the true desires of this Jurgen Klopp reign is an ability to attract a higher calibre of transfer target and Gundogan definitely fills this bracket.
Now a regular starter for Germany, displacing Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger in partnering Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos against Georgia in the European Qualifiers recently, Gundogan would be expensive but undoubtedly someone as an upgrade on Lucas Leiva in the holding role.
Kevin Volland
Back in May, Hoffenheim’s exciting young forward Kevin Volland signed a new contract extension with Roberto Firmino’s former club taking him through until 2019 but lets be honest, are contracts worth the paper they are written on nowadays?
Bagging five goals for Hoffenheim already this season, Volland has added to the impressive tally of 25 he already had prior to the 2015/16 campaign, bagged in 107 appearances despite only being 23-years-old.
Usually playing on the wing to boot, this tally isn’t bad at all and his efforts haven’t gone amiss by Germany boss Joachim Low who called upon Volland in the recent European Qualifiers.
Making it into Germany’s senior international ranks right now is no mean feat and with Klopp now at the helm, perhaps a cheeky bid might be sanctioned if Volland continues to impress up until the New Year.
Liverpool may well be issued a hands-off warning flat out given the fact they raided the German club for their star man Roberto Firmino in the summer but if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
What’s more, Volland sports his favourite number 31 shirt for Hoffenheim and Liverpool need somebody to replace the shirt number of, whisper it quietly – *Raheem Sterling* – don’t they?
Lars Bender
If you simply see what Liverpool supporters are saying on social media right now, one of the most sought-after players on the fans’ radar is Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender.
Always rated higher than his twin brother Sven Bender of Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal have been endlessly linked with Lars over the past couple of years but perhaps Klopp’s appointment at Liverpool could give them the edge in landing the German international over the next couple of transfer windows?
Like Gundogan, Bender is considered by most Liverpool supporters in the bar as a marquee kind of addition and one a cut above from the likes of James Milner, Dejan Lovren and Danny Ings.
Seemingly settled over in Leverkusen, having resisted the overtures of admiring glances from afar in recent transfer windows however, it appears getting Bender out of the Bundesliga will be no mean feat.
Neven Subotic
Perhaps one of the most believable Liverpool transfer rumours doing the rounds at the minuet concerns a potential swoop for one of Jurgen Klopp’s previous disciples in Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic.
The Serbian international is reportedly high up on Klopp’s transfer wishlist alongside the world class Mats Hummels and lets face it, if Klopp is to strengthen any portion of this Liverpool side at the minute, surely it has to start with the club’s leaky defence?
Subotic seemed to be far more highly rated a few seasons ago at Signal Iduna Park with Sokratis Papastathopoulos having stole a little of his thunder in more recent times but the Serb is still only 26-years-old despite seeming like he’s been around forever.
What’s more, he can’t do any worse than the likes of Dejan Lovren can he now Liverpool fans?
