The new Premier League season is still getting started, but already Liverpool see themselves in 16th place after three games – lacklustre draws with Fulham and Crystal Palace and Monday night’s woeful defeat at Man Utd.
The hardcore faithful remind us that we are only THREE games in, but disregarding the performances in those first 270 minutes of football as ‘the Reds just getting warmed up’ is an error.
Yes, Jurgen Klopp‘s squad is injury-ridden at the moment, but missing Thiago and Joel Matip from Monday night’s starting line-up can’t be the reason the whole team performed so badly. Diogo Jota may have started if fit, but, in the absence of suspended Darwin Nunez, there’s a strong possibility that Klopp would have opted for the same front three that he chose anyway.
Regardless, there is a clear and obvious need for an additional midfielder in the squad before the transfer window closes. In an ideal world, Klopp would be right to hang fire and wait for Jude Bellingham next summer, but Monday night’s game was far from ideal and the whole club will be limping until January, not just Thiago.
In hindsight, taking Gini Wijnaldum back on loan from PSG would have been the obvious choice, but that ship has sailed and the Dutchman is now at Roma instead.
Marcos Llorente is the latest in a long line of players being linked with a possible move to Anfield. The 27-year-old scored a brace for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 tie at Anfield back in March 2020 and went on to name his pet dog ‘Anfield’. He’s reportedly out of favour with Diego Simeone and wanting away.
Regardless of any denials made by Klopp about potential transfers this window, expect more speculation as the deadline approaches.
