The summer window may have closed but we at Football FanCast are already looking forward to its winter counterpart.
Indeed, the January window is the perfect opportunity for Premier League clubs to bolster their squads, or perhaps most importantly, offload some deadwood, just in time for the campaign’s final run in.
This article takes a look at Liverpool, a club who spent no less than £117million this summer, adding eight signings to their first team.
But the squad is by no means perfect and some tailoring, especially when it comes to trimming, is still required.
With that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE players who could potentially leave Anfield when the transfer window reopens.
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GLEN JOHNSON
Parting company with Glen Johnson in January would seriously diminish the amount of experience available to Brendan Rodgers in defence.
But the England right-back rejected a one-year contract extension during the summer, and with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, Liverpool will feel compelled to sell if a decent offer comes in.
According to the tabloids, that could come in the form of a £2million bid from Serie A side Roma:
Fortuitously, Rodgers already has understudies Javier Manquillo and Jon Flanagan waiting in the wings, and Johnson’s frosty relationship with the Anfield fanbase makes a winter departure all the more likely. Here’s a look at the 29 year-old’s best moments for the Reds: //www.youtube.com/embed/Q4n944R9rsQ?rel=0
FABIO BORINI
Fabio Borini was widely expected to leave Anfield this summer, with Liverpool accepting a £14million bid from Sunderland after the Italian claimed ten goals on loan at the Stadium of Light last season. The highlight of his Black Cats stay was this sensational strike in the Tyne-Wear derby: //www.youtube.com/embed/IjUP4e8wvxE?rel=0 But the 23 year-old rejected Sunderland and likewise advances from QPR on deadline day, before exploding into a bizarre rant about his manhood on Twitter:
Borini may be happy that he’s decided to fight for his place on Merseyside but Brendan Rodgers clearly isn’t – he’s included the winger-forward in just one Premier League matchday squad so far this season.
The former Parma youngster is likely to remain in the cold whilst Italian sources claim Inter Milan are preparing a loan bid for the January window.
LUCAS LEIVA
Lucas Levia is another Liverpool fringe player who was expected to leave the Mersey outfit at the end of the summer window, with reports of his plans to join up with former Reds boss Rafa Benitez at Napoli:
The move never materialised and the Brazilian remains a Liverpool player for now, but his relevance is rapidly corroding on Merseyside, with like-minded midfielder Emre Can joining the Anfield ranks this summer and Steven Gerrard reinventing himself in the holding role. Brendan Rodgers will have no qualms with the 27 year-old remaining in his squad; in fact, he issued Leiva a start against Southampton on the opening day of the Premier League season. But regular game-time will be an issue for the Brazil international and like Borini, he looks set to be gradually frozen out of the Reds’ first team squad. With Benitez ruling out further additions in Naples however, Liverpool and Leiva need another suitor to emerge before the winter window.
SUSO
A couple of seasons ago, Suso looked like a real prospect for the Reds, producing impressive form in a cameo role that saw him make 14 Premier League appearances. Here’s a look at the attacking midfielder in action for Liverpool: //www.youtube.com/embed/yi97A5phWsw?rel=0 But he was sent on loan to Almeira last season and struggled to have a similar impact, finding the net just three times in 35 appearances across all competitions. In that time, Brendan Rodgers has transformed Liverpool into Premier League title contenders, so opportunities for the 20 year-old at his parent club will be hard to come by. Suso was strongly linked with a loan move to AC Milan on deadline day:
…but the San Siro switch failed to materialise. It remains unlikely that the Spaniard will feature regularly this season, with Brendan Rodgers splashing out a combined £45million on likeminded attacking duo Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic this summer.
Suso’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season so the Reds will be keen to move him on in January. But recent speculation suggests he could decide to join AC Milan on a pre-contract agreement instead, meaning Liverpool will get no return for his services.
Jose Enrique
Unlike the rest of the Liverpool players in this article, Jose Enrique hasn’t been openly linked with a January move to another club. In fact, he’s only just returned from injury after missing the vast majority of last season.
But it’s unlikely the 28 year-old will feature heavily this season after Brendan Rodgers invested £12million in summer signing Alberto Moreno, who netted this absolute stunner for the Reds against Tottenham:
The No.3 slot is also deputised by Mamadou Sakho, Glen Johnson and Emre Can, so the Anfield side won’t be left short if Enrique is let go in January.
It remains to be seen how much interest there will actually be in the regularly-crocked defender however. Here’s a look at Enrique in action:
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