Liverpool take on Brighton at the weekend. Jürgen Klopp spoke in a press conference, offering an update on Darwin Núñez and the January transfer situation.
Liverpool travel to Brighton tomorrow. Speaking in his press conference, Jürgen Klopp gave updates on a number of major talking points.
Darwin Núñez has been a key part of the pre-match agenda for less than ideal reasons. Meanwhile, Liverpool continues to be linked with a number of players in the January transfer market.
What’s happened?
Núñez was not pictured in the latest round of Liverpool training photos, sparking fears that the Uruguayan would be unavailable for the trip to Brighton. With Roberto Firmino also still absent, it prompted concern that there would be no natural centre-forward to take on Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
This has taken place amid the backdrop of the January transfer market, raising the possibility of finding solutions there. Liverpool has of course already signed Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven.
Klopp was asked about all this and more at the press conference.
What’s been said?
First up was the injury to Núñez, whom Klopp appeared to rule out.
“We are waiting for information. It’s not a major one, but it kept him out of training, so we have to wait,” Klopp explained in his press conference.
It was even worse news on Firmino:
“Bobby not… In the first moment it was a little injury. Rehab stuff, rehab stuff, all the experts told us what we could do, then [he] felt again something. I don’t know what happened but he is not close to team training now.”
Klopp then touched on what the injury situation could mean in terms of transfer activity:
“We have problems, everyone knows, with injuries, these kind of things… It’s really tricky that the squad is not the biggest.”
But when asked if Liverpool could turn to the transfer market for solutions, he seemed skeptical:
“I don’t think so, it’s just the situation is like it is. I have to talk about it, because you ask me, but in the end my job is to use the boys we have, so that’s it. I have no problem, I like the teams we line up, but then you realize up front we don’t have three, four, five options, and suddenly they get young very quickly…
“I know in a dreamland you would buy players now, but I don’t see that coming.
“Really, do I have to tell the money story again? What could be the reason that we have [lots of money available], but we don’t sign the players available? The answer is on the table. And on top of that, we have seven strikers when everyone comes back from injury. We couldn’t even put them all on the Champions League list.”
What does it mean?
The one piece of good news is that the setback for Núñez is not expected to be long-term. When he returns, it’s as you were in terms of Liverpool’s attacking triumvirate, with the Uruguayan through the middle, Gakpo out on the left and Mohamed Salah on the right. Those are decent options for Klopp.
However, the depth is lacking, and suffered another bitter blow with the news that Firmino is no longer even close to a return. Klopp’s frustrations were clear when talking about the transfer landscape, even if he accepted the reality that Liverpool is not in a ‘dreamland’, and cannot constantly find solutions on the market. His ‘money story’ comments were a clear indication that the funds are currently not available.
It’s set to be another tricky month or two as the returns of Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota are awaited.
