At the time of writing, Liverpool supporters inside the Football Transfer Tavern were still patiently waiting for the official club announcement that Jurgen Klopp will be the new Reds manager.
An outstanding appointment on the face of it, Liverpool will represent the German manager’s first job outside his homeland and with the Reds currently in 10th place but just four points of joint second and third teams Arsenal and Manchester United right now, he’s inheriting a side that aren’t in total disaster.
That said, Liverpool aren’t firing on all cylinders either after Brendan Rodgers’ mediocre start to the season but in somebody like Klopp, surely the charismatic German is someone who can breed new life and a new mentality into the Reds’ dressing room.
With Liverpool’s awful record in the transfer market being a feature of Rodgers’ tenure, naturally many Liverpool fans believe that with Klopp’s appointment, the usually shrewd boss can improve the Reds’ fortunes with some smart purchases in January.
Moreover, with Klopp having built up such a rapport with the likes of Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus at former club Borussia Dortmund, maybe the appointment puts the Reds at an advantage of potentially signing these players over the next few transfer windows.
Only time will tell on that front of course but in the meantime, we’ve devised a list of five players who could end up following Neven Subotic – who has most recently been linked with a Liverpool switch – to Anfield in January.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five players who could follow Neven Subotic to Liverpool in January.
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Ezequiel Lavezzi
Seemingly forever linked with a transfer to the Premier League, the Ezequiel Lavezzi rumours are doing the rounds again with Metro claiming that the Reds have made contact with Paris Saint-Germain over his availability.
Having started just two games for the Ligue 1 champions so far this season, the Argentine’s prospects are not improving in the French capital and with the former Napoli player still way down the attacking pecking order under Laurent Blanc, perhaps this time he will move after all.
A prolific goalscorer during his time in Italy with Napoli, Lavezzi isn’t nearly as prolific given his bit-part status nowadays and is utilised more often than not as a winger.
On the face of it right now, Lavezzi – who is now 30-years-old – isn’t the most inspiring purchases and our Reds contingent in the tavern are keen to see more of what Roberto Firmino can do in the wide areas before neutrals start writing him off completely too.
Marko Rog
A lesser known name, yet somebody Arsenal fans might know now given he played against the Gunners in their forgettable Champions League opener and defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb, Marko Rog is a young midfielder who is starting to interest Europe’s big boys.
Rated at around £8 million, the Daily Star claim Liverpool were taking a look at him in the summer when the 20-year-old was on the books of RNK Split but it was Zagreb who pounced for a £4 million deal.
Now having accumulated more experience and having played well against Arsenal, Rog’s star is on the rise and being a relative minnow in European football despite well and truly being top dogs in their own Croatian top flight, Zagreb have accepted they have to sell their best young talents such as Luke Modric and Alen Halilovic to the likes of Tottenham and Barcelona in the past.
Nolito
Linked more frequently of Arsenal of late, The Express have also quoted that Liverpool are also keen on acquiring Celta Vigo’s outstanding attacker Nolito in the January transfer window.
Having registered five goals already in La Liga for the Galician side this term while racking up three assists to boot, Nolito has started where he left off last term, improving his status as one of the Spanish top flight’s most clinical forwards.
Both the Gunners and Reds have cottoned on to the fact that Nolito has a £13 million release clause in his contract right now and with top class strikers having been in short supply over the summer, the now full Spanish international looks like he’ll be ont of the most sought-after quality options potentially available in three months’ time.
Conor Chaplin
Liverpool are always on the lookout for the talent of tomorrow having invested heavily in their youth ranks over the past couple of seasons and one more youngster who Brendan Rodgers was reportedly interested in ahead of his sacking was Portsmouth striker Conor Chaplin.
Only 18-years-old, Chaplin has benefited from Pompey being a League Two side now in getting accelerated chances in their first team and ultimately, he’s impressed to the extent that some of the Premier League big boys are now taking note.
We’ve already seen earlier this summer that when the Premier League’s big fish identify swoops for professionals playing at League Two level such as Newcastle United swooping for Northampton Town’s Ivan Toney, it is virtually impossible for the likes of the Cobblers and in this case Pompey to deny a young player that dream move early in their career.
Having scored goals against far higher opposition in the Capital One Cup in the form of Championship outfits Derby County and Reading already this season, Chaplin’s prowess is clear for all to see for somebody so young and it remains to be seen whether Jurgen Klopp will now glance over the situation or alternatively chase his own targets.
Anwar El Ghazi
Quite simply a European club that continually keep on producing top class young talents to sell them on at a profit season after season, the latest buzz at Ajax is circulating around young winger Anwar El Ghazi.
The 20-year-old is reportedly at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between both Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool and it’s no surprise considering the Dutchman has already registered seven goals in six appearances for the Eredivisie giants so far this season.
Capable of playing on either flank in the winger’s position, El Ghazi is only set to pick up more admirers if he continues on his upward curve this season and as we’ve already mentioned with Ajax, once the big boys come swooping, the Amsterdam giants reluctantly move their youngsters on while starting the conveyor belt process all over again.
