When very smart people do things that make no sense to you, logic dictates that there are three possible explanations:
A.) They’re so much smarter than you (and everyone else) that you can’t even fathom their genius, because they’re playing 4D chess and you’re playing checkers.
b.) They’re really not that smart
c.) There are some things behind the scenes that we don’t know about
i see liverpool‘s activities – or lack thereof – in this January transfer window, which closed on Monday, and wonder which of the above applies here. I hope it’s option C) and that all will be revealed at some point, because B) would mean that Michael Edwards’s talent is grossly overrated, including by me, and A) would mean I’m an idiot – it’s possible, sure, but it’s not fun to contemplate.
However, there was one undeniable fact in the January window: Liverpool needed to add one or more defenders. If you want to dispute this, I’ll take the next few paragraphs to try to convince you. If I fail, feel free to stop reading and go back to TikTok scrolling.
– January transfer winners and losers: Man City on top
– Desperation ranking: Which Premier League teams made desperate moves?
– Men’s transfer grades: Every major January move, rated
We know that Liverpool believed they needed another defender – ideally a center back – because he tried to sign Mark Guehi From crystal Palace on deadline day for around £35 million ($47M) and the deal fell apart, apparently while Guéhi was undergoing an MRI. That was in August.
After less than a month, giovanni leoniThe young central defender they signed Parma Earlier, Window had suffered a serious injury which would keep him out for the rest of the season. now they were down Two defenders
Then, on January 8, 2026, another protester, connor bradleyAnother knee injury ended his season prematurely. now they were down Three defenders
It’s not just that. One of the defenders they have is 34 years old (virgil van dijk), the other two are free agents in June (Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate) and the other two are actually wingbacks (Milos Kerkez And jeremy frimpongWho is also currently out with his third hamstring injury of the season). then there is joe gomezJoe suffered a layoff this season due to three separate injuries, totaling him missing nearly two months due to multiple issues: Achilles, hamstring and hip.
To be fair, they do list two other defenders on their website. is there anyone Rhys WilliamsJoe was on loan at Morecambe in the fourth tier last season, and hasn’t actually played first-team football for Liverpool in four and a half years. the second one is calvin ramsayThe once very highly rated right back has suffered a number of dreadful injuries and at the age of 22, has made a total of five league starts in the last three and a half years, all of them while on loan.
You don’t need to be two or three deep in every position along the way. armory Are. But conventional wisdom says that if your starting players get injured, or their performance declines due to wear and tear, you need some type of insurance policy. Liverpool has played 80 Champions League matches Premier League Games in the last 18 months. Van Dijk has started 78 of them and has never been substituted. He will turn 35 in July. Are these risks worth taking?
All this makes Liverpool’s inaction shocking. Yes, he signed One of the most promising young central defenders – the 20-year-old jeremy jacketFrom Rennes – but he is not coming on board next season. What about this season?
– Scouting report: What Jackett will bring to Liverpool this summer
There is a school of thought that says that after spending a lot of money last summer, money was tight in January, and in any case, the owners, Fenway Sports Group, run a tight ship. Perhaps. But if your squad of defenders denies you a place in next season’s Champions League, the potential revenue could increase by more than €80M. (As of today, Liverpool are sixth and would miss out anyway.) And if it means you go out in the Round of 16 of this year’s Champions League rather than the quarter-finals, that’s another €30M – poof! — Went. (Add them up and you get yourself two jackets.)
Plus, you don’t have to find the next Jamie Carragher in January, which is both difficult and expensive. All you need is a living body that can eat up the minutes and perform to a minimum standard on the pitch.
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Why are Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacket ahead of next season?
Gabe Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss Liverpool’s decision to secure defender Jeremy Jacquet ahead of next season.
The last time Liverpool faced a defensive crisis, in 2020-21, they plucked someone named Nat Phillips out of thin air and he became a regular for half the season. They finished third in the league, and he started both Champions League quarter-finals against real Madrid. Are we really supposed to believe they couldn’t find anyone, even on loan? Did he even consider this? Either a promising young player who would give him exposure in the shop window and at a club like Liverpool, or an experienced player whose salary you might want to take off your books? Look at the financial situation of clubs across Europe (and in the Premier League). there is In fact No one there?
The strange thing about all this is that he had time. October, November, December – these are the three months to plan and bring someone in when the window opens. Liverpool won only one of six league games throughout January. Could a fresh body have moved the needle?
Liverpool’s January inactivity (except for the jackets) was a result of one of two things. Either they tried – and failed – to bring in someone to add depth and act as an insurance policy, which means the issue was execution. Or they simply concluded that their defensive options were strong enough – to be fair, they have the second-best xG allowed numbers in the Premier League behind Arsenal – and durable enough that they didn’t need insurance space, in which case it was by design.
If it is the latter, it is extremely counterintuitive and rejects any kind of conventional wisdom. But hey: Trust the process, right?
