As Expected Liverpool FC Quiet In The January Transfer Window | OneFootball

In the summer, following the departure of Jürgen Klopp from Anfield and the arrival of Arne Slot as his successor, many wondered how active Liverpool would be in the transfer market. After all, the Dutchman needed to get to know the players that he was working with and find out whether or not they would be able to play the style of football that he favoured.

In the end, only one many arrived on Merseyside in the form of Federico Chiesa, with the Reds also signing goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili but immediately loaning him back to Valencia for the rest of the 2024-2025 season. There were, though, some departures.

Sepp van den Berg left to join Brentford for just shy of £24 million, with the same thing also being true of Fabio Carvalho. Stefan Bajcetic went to RB Salzburg on loan, with the likes of Ben Doak and Calvin Ramsay also heading out to gain some experience elsewhere. At the same time, both Thiago Alcántara and Joël Matip left Liverpool permanently, which is why some supporters felt defensive reinforcements were a necessity.

None arrived, however, leading to some concerns over the season to come. As January reached its conclusion, however, the Reds sat six points clear at the top of the Premier League. What, then, for the January window?

Slot Keeping Faith With Players Who Got Him to the Party

One of the things that transfer hawks rarely think about is the manner in which players can be just as likely to disrupt  squad as improve it. Imagine a world, for example, in which Federico Chiesa was not the generally happy and laidback guy that he seems to be, but rather someone who would kick up a fuss any time he wasn’t selected.

Instead of being the clear addition to the Liverpool team that he has been when he’s made any appearances, such as player would instead be one who would cause problems, complaining and moaning and generally disrupting the unit at a time when cohesion is crucial to what we’re trying to do.

As a result, Liverpool Football Club’s decision to keep its powder dry in the transfer market is something that often annoys those that think they should spend money at every available opportunity. Never mind the fact that it has proven to be the right decision more often than not.

Whilst many would have wanted the Reds to sign a player or two this month, it is clear that Arne Slot is happier keeping his squad ticking over and putting his faith in the players that he has at his disposal. The fact that they sit six points clear of Arsenal with a game in hand would suggest that additions aren’t necessary and could even prove detrimental.

Jayden Danns Leaving on Loan

When Jayden Danns lined up for Liverpool in the Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven towards the end of January, he became the youngest player in the club’s history to start a match in the competition.

The 19-year-old Scouser is a talented forward who has scored three goals in nine appearances to date, but the performance against the Dutch side in our final group game of Europe’s top competition was proof that he still has a lot to learn. In spite of some supporters believing that he should be given Darwin Núñez’s minutes, seemingly happy to ignore the Uruguayan’s goal involvements, he clearly isn’t ready yet.

That doesn’t mean that he won’t be a solid long-term option, however. That is why Liverpool have put plenty of faith in him, getting him to sign a new contract before heading to promotion-chasing Sunderland on loan for the remainder of the campaign. It is an astute move from the Reds, given the fact that there are essentially six players in front of him in the Liverpool attack and he still has plenty to learn.

The Championship can be a much more physical and ‘agricultural’ division than the top-flight, so it is a chance for Danns to grow up physically alongside gaining experience in a tough league that will pay dividends in the long-run.

James McConnell Going Nowhere

In some ways, a story about a player not going to play elsewhere isn’t really a story at all. Yet in the case of James McConnell, it is a sign that the midfielder might well be a name who appears on Liverpool’s team sheets several times before the campaign has run its course. McConnell, who was born in Newcastle but joined the Reds from the Sunderland youth system in 2019, made his Premier League debut in the November of 2023 when he replaced Dominik Szoboszlai from the bench.

He got his first start in the fourth round of the FA Cup in January of last year and was on the pitch when the Reds beat Chelsea in the League Cup final.

Although he started life as an attacking midfielder, he adapted his game to be more defensive when Jordan Henderson and Fabinho Tavares both left Liverpool in the summer of 2023. It was in the wake of the 3-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven that Slot admitted that McConnell was unlikely to leave Anfield on loan, having impressed so much in the Champions League.

With midfield being one of the areas that the Reds look the weakest when injuries are taken into account, being able to turn to a player of McConnell’s quality is an obvious advantage. Although it’s likely to be the FA Cup where he gets more of his game time, Liverpool doing well in all competitions certainly helps.