Liverpool Transfer News: Jurgen Klopp Urged to Sign Players, Granit Xhaka Boost

A poll conducted by the Liverpool Echo has revealed the overwhelming majority of Liverpool supporters think manager Jurgen Klopp needs to bring in at least two players in the mid-season window. 

The vote asked how drastic the reinforcements needed to be when the January transfer window opens, with 55.3 per cent of the voters saying two players should come in and 27.4 per cent thinking three are needed. Only 16 per cent thought one new face was required, while a meagre 1.4 per cent of voters think the squad is fine as it is.

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While supporters always want to see their club going out and signing classy players, the fact that around four in five fans feel as though the squad needs at least two new faces is a damning indictment of the club’s transfer business in the summer window.

As noted here by Jim Boardman of the Daily Mirror, despite spending heavily in the window on the likes of Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Nathaniel Clyne, the squad as a whole is pretty unbalanced:

Those hoping for wholesale changes in January may be disappointed. Klopp has already affirmed that he will be looking to give all members of his squad a fair chance before delving into the market. The nature of the January window, with clubs not wanting to sell players and others not wanting to shell out too much, makes a rebuilding job difficult, too.

After two summers in succession of major transfer activity, another reshuffle would do little to help this team progress. So while Klopp may have a couple of targets in mind for January, it’d be a major surprise if we were to see any marquee captures materialise before the end of the current season.

Liverpool to Battle Arsenal for Granit Xhaka

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According to German newspaper Bild (h/t James Walters of the Daily Star), Liverpool and Arsenal are set to square off in an attempt to sign Borussia Monchengladbach’s midfield enforcer Granit Xhaka.

The 23-year-old has been hugely impressive at the heart of the Monchengladbach midfield this season, dominating battles in the engine room with his industrious playing style. The Swiss international is a physical player, strong in the air and a fine passer of the ball, too, making him a perfect fit for the Premier League on paper.

Here’s a look at why names such as Liverpool and Arsenal have been touted as potential buyers for a reported £20 million:

As reported by Walters, Xhaka recently admitted “things can happen quickly in football” in regards to a possible transfer and that if he was to leave Borussia Park, it’d only be for a “top, top club.”

For Klopp’s side, Xhaka would be a tremendous acquisition. Although Lucas Leiva has looked rejuvenated under the German’s tutelage, holding midfielders are scarce in this squad. While Xhaka is primarily a box-to-box player for Monchengladbach currently, he could certainly do a fine job prowling in front of the back four at Anfield.

While his aggression is refreshing, occasionally it can turn into rashness, as is evident by Xhaka’s disciplinary record:

It’s not a catastrophic deficiency, though, and certainly something that is likely to cease as the Swiss international matures. With that in mind, perhaps a move to an elite club, the pressures of a big transfer fee and a key responsibility in the XI would be beneficial to a player like Xhaka in better channelling his nasty side.

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The Borussia man is a player Klopp will know well from his time in the Bundesliga, a midfielder who looks capable of thriving in English football, and he would help resolve a key tactical deficiency within the current squad. If Liverpool can get this one over the line, it’d be a fine bit of business.