Liverpool's defence of their Premier League title has faltered, with the Reds trailing league leaders Arsenal by 10 points heading into the festive fixtures. A dismal run of nine losses in 12 games across all competitions was the club's worst form in over 70 years, but under-fire manager Arne Slot has steadied the ship with a recent victory over Tottenham, moving Liverpool back to fifth in the table.
The win came at a cost, however, as Alexander Isak suffered a broken leg following a challenge from Micky van de Ven while scoring the opening goal. With Mohamed Salah on AFCON duty and Cody Gakpo injured, Slot is light on attacking options. Defensively, summer signing Geovanni Leoni is ruled out for the season, and Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley have fitness concerns.
Stretched resources could force Slot into the January transfer market. Long-term defensive target Marc Guehi came close to joining Liverpool on deadline day last summer, but the deal collapsed. The England international is out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of the season and can talk to overseas clubs from next month. Barcelona had been linked but have cooled their interest due to financial constraints, according to Mundo Deportivo.
At the other end of the pitch, Liverpool's links with Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo appear dead, with the Ghanaian reportedly preferring a move to Manchester City. As a result, the Reds have turned their attention to PSG and France winger Bradley Barcola, 23, according to CaughtOffside.
Liverpool host Wolves on December 27 before the January window opens on New Year's Day. Slot must decide whether to dip into the market to revive the faltering campaign or rely on the significant investment made after winning the 20th English league title.
