Liverpool were record-breakingly busy in the summer transfer window, but with January approaching the ailing Premier League champions have more priorities to address.

Despite their remarkable £446.2 million summer spend, Liverpool are in a worse position than this time last year.

Therefore, with the transfer window reopening on January 1 it is not wrong to suggest that there is cause for another busy month for Richard Hughes and his recruitment team.

Liverpool’s January Wishlist: At a Glance

• The Salah stance: Putting the Saudi noise to bed and securing his future

• The defensive fix: Why Marc Guehi is No. 1 target – and Ligue 1 talent the perfect fallback

• The loan reset: Resolving Harvey Elliott‘s “untenable” situation and finding the right senior path for Trey Nyoni

• Semenyo alternative: Why Liverpool must sign another attacker if Antoine Semenyo chooses Man City

• The contract priority: Avoiding another ‘Trent saga’ with Ibrahima Konate

Here are five things we want to see from Liverpool in the January transfer window, including a decision on Mohamed Salah‘s future.

Put the Saudi rumours to bed and keep Mo Salah



Salah’s situation was resolved to an extent before he departed for the Africa Cup of Nations: an impressive comeback against Brighton saw the return of an elite-level professional.

But it will no doubt be revisited upon the Egyptian’s return from the mid-season tournament, as word is his rift with Slot is not exactly repaired.

Liverpool are insistent they do not wish to lose Salah in January, but a transfer cannot be ruled out if he remains frustrated and the riches of Saudi Arabia loom.

The prospect of one of the club’s best-ever players leaving under a winter cloud is unacceptable, and above any need for signings, ensuring Salah’s commitment at least until the end of the season is essential.

Solve the centre-back issue: Sign Guehi or a smart fallback



With Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the rest of the season and Joe Gomez almost exclusively required at right-back when fit himself, the load on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate has been relentless.

That was not the plan, of course, with Liverpool having come as close as you can to signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace on deadline day.

Palace chairman Steve Parish’s U-turn was devastating, but it did underline the risk taken when delaying any deal for the England centre-back until the very end of the transfer window.

Put simply, Liverpool need to sign a new centre-back – and Guehi remains the No. 1 target.

Much will depend on whether Palace are willing to do business in January – knowing they will lose their captain and most valuable player on a free at the end of the season if they don’t – but Liverpool may need to pivot if not.

Given at least two centre-backs are required in the long term (more on that later), a move for a secondary target such as Rennes youngster Jeremy Jacquet would be an ideal fallback.

Sort out the loans: Bring Elliott back and find a home for Nyoni



Five appearances short of triggering his £35 million permanent move and with seemingly no chance of meeting that target, Harvey Elliott‘s situation at Aston Villa is untenable.

It is hard to argue with his standing in their squad, either, given Villa’s remarkable fortunes under Unai Emery this season.

But given Liverpool are light of options in midfield and out wide, Elliott returning to Anfield could be an ideal solution.

Liverpool may argue otherwise when it comes to business sense, having viewed their deal with Villa as an all-but-guaranteed sale.



Elliott’s is not the only loan that will need to be assessed in January, with Kostas Tsimikas (Roma), James McConnell (Ajax) and Lewis Koumas (Birmingham) all struggling for game time and potentially returning early.

There are others currently at Liverpool who would benefit from a mid-season loan, namely Trey Nyoni, who trains with the first team regularly but barely features and is in need of starting football at senior level.

Sign an alternative if Semenyo joins Man City



While signing a centre-back is a priority in terms of incomings, injury to Alexander Isak has magnified the need for another versatile forward – also with an eye on future-proofing for life after Salah.

The primary candidate in that respect was Bournemouth‘s Antoine Semenyo, but he now appears set on joining Man City in a deal worth £65 million.

Clearly, Liverpool had other plans, and the hope is that those include signing an alternative, unless reports speculating Liverpool could yet hijack the move come to fruition.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, Real Madrid‘s Rodrygo and Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi have all been touted as options and Liverpool are known to have long-standing interest in all three.

Given Cody Gakpo is the de facto first choice on the left – with Rio Ngumoha too young to play consistently at the top level – signing a player like Barcola in January could provide much-needed competition and more end product.

Tie down Ibrahima Konate and avoid another contract saga



The centre-back issue has been magnified by the knowledge that Konate is yet to sign a new contract and, while often underperforming, could be planning to leave on a free transfer in the summer.

Liverpool have presented the Frenchman’s representatives with an offer but as of yet there has been no resolution to ongoing talks.

With Konate able to formally speak to clubs outside of England from January 1, it could provide a timely juncture when it comes to determining his future.

The club will have wanted to avoid another prolonged contract saga, but that is the situation they are in.

It was only in April when Van Dijk and Salah signed their latest deals, while Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s decision to leave was announced in May, but January should prompt closure when it comes to Konate.