The January transfer window opens on Thursday, beginning a months-long scramble to make any final personnel transfers that will cover the remainder. Premier League Season. For clubs competing for top spot, this is a chance to consolidate their bid for a trophy – or multiple – ones. For teams looking to avoid relegation, this is an opportunity to bring in reinforcements to get the job done.
But it’s not just about the movement of players between clubs. Now is the time for clubs to worry about stars nearing the end of their contracts – whether they’re hitting free agency in the summer of 2026 or 2027 – and extend them on new terms before convincing them to join elsewhere.
Thus, it’s time for another edition of “Keep, Dump or Extend” – and this time we’re looking at liverpoolMark Ogden and Gabe Marcotti are taking on the role of sporting director to look at the questions facing Liverpool on all fronts, from acquisitions and exits to contract renewals, let’s get started!
Liverpool: keep, dump or expand?
, League standings as of 30 December: Fourth, 32 points. (Last year’s finish: 1st, 84 points)
, Realistic Goals: Champions League qualification through the Premier League – or by winning the Champions League or FA Cup
1. Salah is now at AFCON and his future is still unresolved: How do you deal with your star player?
Ogden: two weeks ago, immediately after mohammed salahis controversial Comments about his playing timeI would have said that if Liverpool received a ridiculous offer from Saudi Arabia they should be prepared to let him leave in January.
but the injury after alexander isaac – Who is out for two-three months with a broken leg – changes everything. Due to Isak’s injury, Liverpool cannot afford to voluntarily part ways with their most consistent goalscorer, regardless of their feelings towards manager Arne Slot.
Isak could be back and scoring goals in early March, but that is a best-case scenario, so the implication with Salah is that his future should now be put on hold until the summer.
0:53
Arne Slot: Me and Mohamed Salah have moved on from Leeds interview
Liverpool manager Arne Slott has revealed he and Mohamed Salah have moved on from the Egyptian’s explosive interview earlier this month.
Marcotti: The man has a contract: If he wants to stay, he will stay. This is the reality, even if these so-called huge offers from Saudi Arabia succeed.
We know Salah isn’t going to move for money – if he were, he’d leave as a free agent in the summer. The only thing that will force Salah to leave is the realization that he can no longer break into the starting eleven on a regular basis. He’s not there yet and with Isaac out, he’ll never get there.
I would like to see Slott come up with a system that hides Salah’s weaknesses and takes advantage of his strengths. (A version of the 4-4-2 we saw at Inter Milan could be a solution.) Slott has toyed with a number of systems he could also try out upon Salah’s return.
2. Isak is injured: replace him internally or sign another forward?
Ogden: Liverpool will hardly miss Isak’s goals when he is sidelined as the £125m summer signing has scored just two points in the Premier League since arriving from Newcastle. But if his strike at Spurs was the catalyst for form, Isak’s absence will be a huge blow.
Either way, while this is a huge blow for Liverpool, it would be foolish to rush into the market for a replacement in January. Salah will be back by mid-January and can already be counted on for a slot hugo akitike, florian wertz, kodi gakpo, Federico Chiesa and teenagers Rio Ngumoha As an attacking option. add goals of Dominic Szoboszlai And Liverpool have plenty of cover for Isak.
2:30
Will Liverpool need to sign a replacement for Isak in January?
Gabe Marcotti and Julien Lawrence talk about Alexander Isak’s injury against Tottenham and debate whether Liverpool will need to bring in a replacement striker.
Marcotti: Assuming no one else is injured, you don’t sign another forward. You don’t need another guy to replace someone who was contributing very little and couldn’t credibly prove he was worthy of starting.
Let Ekitike play center forward and when he is out, you have Kodi Gakpo. Or go with a front two and add Florian Wirtz, Federico Chiesa and Salah (when he returns) into the mix.
, What the top Premier League teams need in January, ranked by urgency
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3. Bring in more reinforcements in other positions, or stand by this Liverpool team?
Ogden: They need to sign a centre-half.
even if virgil van dijk And Ibrahima Konate To avoid injury, they also need reliable covers or replacements. joe gomez Can’t be trusted to stay fit and a summer signing giovanni leoniJoe, still only 19, is out until next season with an ACL injury.
Liverpool foiled their attempt to sign him Mark Guehi From crystal Palace And he may have missed his best chance to sign England guard. ButWith his contract set to expire in June and Palace being sensitive to a good offer, it would make sense to try again in early January.
Marcotti: Whether it’s Guhi or someone else, they need another option – and it needs to be of starting caliber.
I can understand not wanting to spend big in January as you rarely get value in that position, but then they should at least look to loan out someone they like who is presentable in the role.
4. Elliot’s Loan Aston Villa Has been a disaster: should Liverpool try to recall him?
Ogden: Absolutely. harvey elliott He was the star of the tournament when England won the Under-21 Euros last summer, but Unai Emery gave the 22-year-old just 97 minutes of Premier League action during his loan spell at Aston Villa.
Elliott has not featured in any competition since coming on as a four-minute substitute in the Europa League win at Feyenoord on 2 October. But due to FIFA rules, Elliott cannot play for any other club after representing Liverpool and Villa this season, so Liverpool must negotiate a deal to bring him back to Anfield.
Marcotti: This is a no brainer. bring him home. He is versatile and hard-working, and he can do things for you in midfield and on the wing. He didn’t play much last season (although he still appeared in 28 games), but Liverpool are in a different situation this year.
It also makes sense because with one year left on his contract, you’ll want to know if he’s worth an extension.
5. Robertson and Konate are both out of contract in the summer: renew, or allow them to leave for free?
Ogden: I will offer andy robertson A new one-year contract as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter that he’ll turn 32 in March – Robertson’s experience and reliability have been vital and underutilized attributes this season. While he certainly has a role to play Milos Kerkez Tries to adjust to life at Anfield.
I think Ibrahima Konate This is a different thing. At 26, he is in the peak years of his career so he should have got a new contract at least a year earlier, but his performance in 2025 does not warrant an extension and it seems the mind has been made up about him at Anfield.
Marcotti: I don’t think Robertson is willing to leave, so I think he’ll take a one- or two-year extension, provided he accepts the fact that he’s now a team player.
This looks like a repeat of last year with three prospective free agents (Salah, Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold). The difference is that where Salah and Van Dijk accepted two-year extensions because they were older, Konate’s age means he won’t – and nor should he.
I don’t think Liverpool should give up on Konate just yet, but they need to be disciplined about how much they are willing to spend, as they have been doing. Trent Alexander-ArnoldI would also rely on the slots and analytics experts at the club to clarify why it is in such a bad shape and whether it can be fixed,
6. Liverpool has a batch of contracts expiring in 2027: Alisson, Van Dijk, Wataru Endo, Salah, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Stefan Bajetic. Who should be promoted now?
Ogden: i’ll try to get down Alison Baker And curtis jones As for long-term extensions, but the jury is out on the rest of them.
Van Dijk and Salah are clearly club stalwarts, but both have shown signs of recession this season after signing two-year deals through 2025. Let’s see how they finish 2026 – if they’re still at Anfield in 12 months’ time.
Wataru Endo, Stefan Bazcetic And joe gomez Everyone’s situations are different, but none of them should expect a new deal any time soon.
Marcotti: I’m not sure Alison is as much of an automatic choice as he was. He has been injured in each of the last three seasons. And with the goalkeeper at his age of 33, you can bide your time a bit.
Expanding the Jones is no easy task – at the right cost – and it also benefits you alexis mac allisterWhose deal is in 2028.
I agree there is no rush with the others, although once Bazetic is fit I would like to see him get some minutes. Before this injury he was a very promising player.
7. Slott’s contract expires in June 2027: Reward him with a new deal, or wait until this turbulent season is over?
Ogden: It seems as if the slot has weathered the early season storm and returned to some form of normalcy, but let’s see how the season plays out. Liverpool could end the season as Champions League winners, but at the same time, they could miss the top four and remain without any trophy.
It sounds strange, but despite winning the Premier League last season, Slott still needs to prove that he has earned a contract extension.
Marcotti: The conventional wisdom is that you don’t want coaches leaving in a season with only one year left on their contract because it undermines their authority. I think Liverpool have already shown with the Salah, Van Dijk, Trent sagas of last year that it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.
If you are a well-run club with a strong presence of a sporting director of football and a CEO, a good coach like Slote should not need the security blanket of more years on his contract. The slot has become bigger. He knows he hasn’t performed well this season and I don’t think he’ll be out if you don’t give him a deal.
On the other hand, if he finds the right balance and turns it all the way, reward him in the spring.
