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Liverpool have earned an exemplary reputation for their transfer business since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards at Anfield, with the combined elite football brains developing and building one of the most successful teams in the world over the last half-decade.

The Reds have enjoyed success across the board with their fantastically assembled Anfield powerhouse with the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup won since the 2018/19 season.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum are just a handful of the players who have become household names since their arrivals on Merseyside, all becoming trusted components under Klopp during his reign at Anfield

However, carefully crafted and well-thought-out transfer business hasn’t always been the culture for the Merseyside giants, especially when a short period of transition in the early 2010s became a memory that many Liverpool supporters try to etch from their memory.

The January 2011 transfer window is fondly remembered for the arrival of arguably one of Liverpool’s best players in the Premier League era when Luis Suarez came to Anfield, but it will also be one to forget with the £35m signing of Newcastle United’s highly-rated young striker Andy Carroll.

It was nothing short of a disastrous panic buy after selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea on deadline day and will forever haunt Carroll’s short-lived legacy at the club, with the mid-season swoop being voted the worst-ever signing in Premier League history during a survey in 2022.

Despite penning a five-and-a-half-year deal, the striker only made 58 appearances for the Reds, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists until he was finally offloaded just two-and-a-half years later when he joined West Ham United for £15m – a huge £20m loss on what Liverpool had paid the Magpies.

Where is Andy Carroll now?

Since his move to east London in 2013, the former England international has become a journeyman in the aftermath of his six-year spell with the Hammers.

Carroll – who Scott Groom suggested was the Reds’ “worst” signing – went full circle to make a shock return to his boyhood club Newcastle after becoming a free agent in 2019 and going without a club for the start of the 2021/22 season. That has been followed by a stint at West Bromwich Albion and two spells at Reading, for whom he currently plays in the Championship.

It’s safe to say the now 34-year-old never reached the heights in his career that he would’ve hoped, with his failure to prove himself at Anfield the catalyst in his footballing misfortunes.

However, the player has spoken out and hints that he doesn’t regret his transformation from hometown hero to generational flop, saying: “Listen, I would have rather stayed at the time and all the way to the helicopter I’m thinking, ‘What is happening? What am I doing?’. But looking back, and how it shaped me as a player and a person, I would honestly still do it. I probably needed to get out of the city to grow up.”

With that being said, the former recruitment team at Anfield will probably not carry the same sentiment in hindsight, and the signing of Carroll remains a transaction over which Liverpool and their supporters will have nightmares.

Liverpool could turn their entire season on its head with a victory over Real Madrid in tonight’s Champions League last-16 clash.

They find themselves currently languishing midtable in the Premier League with their defence of both domestic cups ending before the quarter-final stage, it has been a transitional season for the Anfield side that’s for sure.

The enormity of the tie could mean Jurgen Klopp makes a few changes to his starting XI from the victory over Newcastle United at the weekend, and adding in some freshness could give the Reds an ideal chance to secure a positive result under the Anfield floodlights this evening.

What could Liverpool’s starting XI look like against Real Madrid?

The back four will remain unchanged from the confidence-boosting victory at the weekend, with the defence keeping their second clean sheet in a row. Alisson starts in goal and will be hoping to keep his fourth clean sheet in the competition this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will occupy the full-back positions, with Virgil van Dijk once again partnered with Joe Gomez at the heart of the defence. Against Newcastle, the duo made eight clearances and were dribbled past just twice combined, showing their effectiveness as a pairing.

The midfield three will see one change from the weekend, with Stefan Bajcetic dropping to the bench. He has been arguably Liverpool’s brightest spark recently but was statistically their worst performer against Newcastle with a rating of 6.4/10 via Sofascore. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will retain their places, while Harvey Elliott will come in for the young Spaniard.

Mohamed Salah will be aiming to add to his excellent haul of seven goals in the Champions League this season while Cody Gakpo will start on the left wing as he makes his first appearance in the competition for Liverpool.

Roberto Firmino will come in for Darwin Nunez who could miss out through injury, with the £180k-per-week frontman leading the line instead.

Dubbed “unreal” by This is Anfield’s Jack Sear, he could be a nuisance to the Madrid defence having netted 23 times in Europe’s elite competition throughout his career and this experience will be vital for Klopp’s men this evening.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Southampton manager Nathan Jones after his “erratic” recent interview with the press.What’s the latest?Over the weekend, the Saints were thumped 3-0 away from home in the Premier League against Brentford. Indeed, goals from Ben Mee, Bryan Mbuemo and Mathias Jensen sealed an easy win for the Bees.The result leaves Southampton struggling down at the very foot of the league table but when talking after the game, Jones delivered a defiant and somewhat bizarre press conference.Indeed, he spoke about how he has “compromised in terms of certain principles” and now he intends to go back to his original style that saw his previous team Luton up there with the best in Europe in terms of statics.When talking about these comments on BBC 606, Sutton claimed that Jones was being too “emotional” after the game and suggested that it could be a worrying sign.He said (18:38) “Amazing interview from Nathan Jones. I mean, it was you know incredible, you know talking about he’s compromised too much.”And then you know he’s bigging himself up in the interview as well, saying that statistically, he is one of the best in Europe for aggressive, playing balls in the box, for pressing, clean sheets, defending, doing all the good things. He’s one of the most fluent managers in terms of in the game and he’s created really good sides. And he says he’s gone away from that.“It’s not that I don’t like him, I just think he is so emotional. And I think some of the things he comes out with… I think if I’m a Southampton fan, listening to that interview – please listen if you haven’t done Southampton fans – I just think he’s too erratic. I really, really do. He is a passionate guy. But if I’m a Southampton fan, there are alarm bells ringing because of that interview.”War of wordsIt seems as though Sutton isn’t the only one to think Jones’ comments were a little odd. Indeed, when speaking on Match of the Day, Ian Wright said they were “strange” and asked: “What are you talking about?”.Jones only arrived at Southampton midway through the season but has won just one and lost the other six of his first seven Premier League games so far.What’s more, this isn’t the first time he’s been outspoken in the media. Indeed, he seemed to take a bit of a dig at his own supporters when they booed him after a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.He said: “I can’t pre-empt what fans are going to do, that’s entirely up to them. It doesn’t concern me. It surprises me a little but that’s their prerogative. We need everyone and that includes fans. I understand their frustrations but that’s not adding any positivity.”All in all, it’s a mess right now and it’s easy to understand why he is keen on changing his tactical approach. However, his messaging in the media could certainly be delivered in a slightly tempered fashion.

Newcastle United are the club to look out for this month in the race to potentially sign the 29-year-old Moroccan playmaker Hakim Ziyech.

What’s the latest?

There have been reports suggesting the Toon are keeping an eye on a trio of potential Chelsea signings this month with Ziyech being one alongside Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

However, it seems they are not the only club that could offer the 29-year-old, Ziyech, a potential landing spot in the final week of the window.

Indeed, it has been claimed that struggling Everton are showing a growing interest in bolstering their squad for their new manager with the experienced Moroccan.

But speaking on his Ranks FC Patreon show, insider Dean Jones has claimed the Magpies are the club to watch out for in the race for Ziyech:

“Look out for Newcastle here on their lookout for another attacker. They are definitely in the conversation to sign Ziyech.

“I’m not 100% sure they’ll go ahead with the offer because they’re also looking at a couple of others including Anthony Gordon.”

Howe adding experience

The Toon have not been drawn into making any big moves this month despite seeing some of their rivals at the top end bring in some new faces.

In fact, Dan Ashworth is yet to bring any new players in this month with the only arrival Garang Kuol who signed months ago from Australia.

However, the transfer links involving Newcastle have often hinted at the Toon adding young prospects for the future like Ivan Fresneda and Matheus Franca.

But in Ziyech, Newcastle could be potentially looking to add a player of real pedigree with 39 appearances in the Champions League under his belt.

It is apparent he is not enjoying his best run of form at Stamford Bridge but the lack of consistent game time will not help his case in rediscovering his Ajax form.

Eddie Howe, though, has already proven this season he is capable of extracting the best out of struggling forward players with Miguel Almiron the prime example of this.

And compared to Almiron, Ziyech would surely offer Howe a more developed starting point to work with having 260 goal involvements to his name across his career (via Transfermarkt).

His time at Chelsea has been a major struggle for Ziyech, but looking back to his best spell at Ajax in the 2018/19 campaign, Ziyech played most of his football from a right-wing or attacking midfield role.

Given Almiron is shining from the right-wing role, it would be interesting to see where Ziyech may slot into Howe’s system but he is certainly a player that would arrive on Tyneside with a lot of experience of playing for a Champions League side.

Tottenham Hotspur could be one of the sides that could potentially lure Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer in the summer with his contract at Crystal Palace dwindling down.

What’s the latest?

Zaha is set to become a free agent this summer having spent almost nine years at Selhurst Park since returning to Palace after a spell with Manchester United.

The Ivorian’s current deal with the Eagles is set to run out at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and it does not appear, at least for now, as if the winger will be putting pen to paper on a new deal.

Despite his contract dwindling down to a conclusion, it is believed the 30-year-old is keen to remain at Palace this month and see out his contract before making a decision on where his future lies.

With the winger potentially being made available on a free transfer, journalist Ryan Taylor has spoken on Chris Cowlin’s YouTube channel about a move to north London being a real possibility:

(32:30) “Possible, I’d say. You know, expiring contract, we don’t expect him to sign a new deal with Palace. He could be one that, you know, given there’s no transfer fee involved. Definitely possible. Don’t envisage a move this month, but maybe at the end of the season.”

Paratici masterclass?

Interestingly, it was revealed that the attacker actually asked to join Spurs back in 2016, but a move never materialised.

It is believed Spurs are looking for another forward this month alongside a right wing-back, but we do wonder whether this is a deal which could potentially change that.

It sounds as if Spurs will have a set budget this month to address their two priority positions, however, we wonder whether Zaha’s potential availability in the summer could see Spurs put more of a focus on bringing in a right wing-back this month.

There is concern over the club not being willing to match Sporting CP’s valuation of Pedro Porro this month but with Dejan Kulusevski now spotted back in training, could a new forward be pushed back until the summer?

A potential opportunity like Zaha – hailed a “beast” by Yannick Bolasie – could see Antonio Conte handed a real threat to rival Son Heung-min who is currently struggling to find his best form in a Spurs shirt.

The Ivorian would bring vast Premier League six goals and two assists in the league this season.

Spurs have been struggling with injuries to Kulusevski and Richarlison, but with both hopefully returning in sooner rather than later, this could suddenly become a position Spurs do not find themselves struggling in.

After all, Bryan Gil has shown some promising signs of late and with this in mind, Zaha could suddenly become an attractive option for Spurs to strengthen their depth in the summer.

However, there will naturally be question marks as to whether Zaha would move to a club that he may not necessarily start. But if Tottenham have Champions League football to offer, then this could seem a viable option.

Fabio Paratici has already pulled off a fine free transfer in Ivan Perisic, could Zaha be his next?

After Matheus Cunha, it appears another Atletico Madrid star in Felipe could be on the move after ‘first approaches’ from Wolves.

The Lowdown: Old Gold linked…

Julen Lopetegui’s arrival at Molineux has been followed by links to some of Atletico’s squad with Cunha now reliably believed to be on the verge of joining.

Following the Brazilian’s potentially imminent move, attention now turns to how the Premier League strugglers could strengthen in further positions.

Fosun International are apparently set to back Lopetegui in the January transfer market with The Times recently sharing that discussions have been held with up to ’15 players’.

The Latest: Romano shares Felipe update…

After initial Wolves contact, reliable transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on another Atletico player targeted by the Old Gold.

The journalist claims Felipe could be next out the door after Cunha’s exit, but Wolves aren’t the sole contenders, as a host of South American sides also take interest.

He explained:

“Atletico Madrid are working to find a solution for Felipe. After Wolves first approaches, also Brazilian clubs are now keen on signing him. Felipe could be the next one to leave the club after Matheus Cunha.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

The 6 foot 3 powerhouse undeniably has the physicality to succeed in England and only a handful of Atletico players averaged a higher rate of clearances per 90 in La Liga last season (WhoScored).

Felipe’s current deal expires in 2023, putting pressure on Diego Simeone’s side to sell next month or risk losing him for nothing – making this a viable deal for Wolves financially.

The 33-year-old is also an experienced figurehead, having won three league titles and a FIFA Club World Cup.

Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra has dropped an injury update regarding Liverpool winger Luis Diaz. 

The Lowdown: Diaz’s injury

After making 12 appearances for the Reds across all competitions this season, scoring four goals and delivering three assists, the 25-year-old suffered a knee injury during the 3-2 defeat against Arsenal two months ago.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the £55k-per-week winger had been sent home from Liverpool’s training camp in Dubai after suffering an injury setback.

Further details have now emerged regarding Diaz’s injury issue and when he’s likely to be back in action for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Latest: Diaz due back in March

Taking to Twitter on Friday night, Sierra shared the latest about Diaz and the latest step in his recovery.

He said: “Luis Diaz will undergo surgery tomorrow [Saturday] to recover from the lateral collateral ligament injury in the knee. Liverpool expects the Colombian to play again in March.”

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed at Liverpool

While the setback will have undoubtedly been a blow for Diaz and everyone at Liverpool, at least they have a potential return date for him and aren’t likely to be without him for the rest of the season.

Hailed as a “magnificent” player by journalist Philip O’Connor, the 25-year-old has shown how useful an attacking figure he is for Liverpool in the league this season.

With only three Reds players having more shots on target than the Colombian (seven), he has the second-highest rate of goals per shot (0.19) at the club. In addition, only Mohamed Salah (16) has completed more dribbles than Diaz (14), further highlighting his attacking presence and how tricky an opponent he is for defenders.

His overall performances in the league have earned Diaz a strong season rating of 7.28/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player in Klopp’s squad.

While it’s undeniable that the 25-year-old’s injury issues have been a blow, everyone at the club will have their fingers crossed that his recovery will get back on track and he can be back on the pitch as quickly as possible.

Leeds United have held a long-term interest in Cody Gakpo, with the Whites seeing a last-minute move for the PSV Eindhoven forward fall through during the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

However, following the Premier League side’s failure to land the 23-year-old, Fabrizio Romano revealed that he was told Victor Orta would once again try for the Netherlands international in the January market.

And, considering the remarkable form Gakpo has been in for PSV so far this season – having scored 13 goals and registered 17 assists over his 24 appearances in all competitions – it is not hard to see why Leeds are keen on the youngster.

Furthermore, the £39m-rated talent has already managed to catch the eye at the Qatar World Cup, with the forward turning in a fantastic display in the Netherlands’ opening 2-0 victory over Senegal on Monday afternoon.

Indeed, over his 89 minutes on the pitch, the £19k-per-week starlet was incredibly effective when in possession of the ball, as, despite enjoying just 36 touches and completing a mere seven of his 11 attempted passes, the 23-year-old still made three key passes, found his man with four crosses and completed one dribble.

However, it was undoubtedly the starlet’s incredible movement and subsequent finish to give his side an 84th-minute lead that well and truly thrust Gakpo into the World Cup spotlight, with the attacker losing his defender with a darting run across the Senegal box before beating Edouard Mendy in the air to head the Netherlands in front.

These metrics saw the €45m (£39m) valued forward earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.8, with the player who Jonathan Pearce claimed was “tipped to be a star” of the Qatar World Cup very much living up to early expectations.

As such, while the PSV talent continuing in his current vein of form will undoubtedly increase the already mounting interest in his services this January, it would appear highly advisable for Orta to sanction a Leeds swoop for Gakpo as early as possible, as the 23-year-old would very much represent an unbelievable addition to Jesse Marsch’s attacking options at Elland Road.

Sheffield Wednesday’s signing of Will Vaulks in the summer already looked like a great deal for Darren Moore’s side, but the Wales international is now ranked as their most valuable player.

The former Cardiff City man arrived at Hillsborough on a free transfer after his contract with the Bluebirds expired, and he has established himself as a regular in the Owls’ midfield so far this season.

The 29-year-old has made 19 appearances in all competitions so far this term, scoring just once, but that came via a wonder strike in the 1-0 win against Port Vale in early October.

After that winning goal at Vale Park, Moore was full of praise for the midfielder’s ability, saying:

“It doesn’t surprise me because we knew what we were getting, the quality player that he is, the experience that he has and what he can give us.

“He showed that quality and experience today to manage the game like that. He was a big cog for us today and came up with the winning goal.”

According to WhoScored, the defensive-minded midfielder has been the 13th-best performer in Moore’s squad so far this season with a solid but unspectacular 6.65 rating.

With nine starts to his name already, despite a brief injury issue in October, Vaulks looks set to be a key part of the Owls’ team for the rest of the season as they look to earn automatic promotion from League One and return to the Championship.

Moore has been able to add a number of Championship-quality players to his side despite the Owls’ relegation to League One in 2021, and Vaulks certainly comes under the category, as he has nearly 200 second-tier appearances to his name with Rotherham United and Cardiff.

Therefore, it is perhaps no surprise that he is now valued as one of the top players in Wednesday’s squad at €1.5m (£1.3m), which emphasises just how much of a coup it was for the Owls to sign him on a free.

Not that Moore will want to move Vaulks on anytime soon but if the Owls do opt to sell him, they look set to make a significant profit on the Welsh midfielder.

Arguably Jurgen Klopp’s biggest strength is his diligence in the transfer market, being able to improve his Liverpool squad with shrewd signings.

There have of course been some significant financial outlays for players, spending £75m to sign Virgil van Dijk nearly five years ago before splashing out a record £85m to bring Darwin Nunez to Anfield in the summer just gone.

One of Klopp’s most impressive forays into the market was back in 2016 when he signed an experienced Bundesliga defender on a pre-contract agreement…

Klopp struck gold on Joel Matip

Having made more than 250 appearances for Schalke 04 since his debut in 2009, a move to the Premier League was the next logical step for the Cameroon centre-back.

He duly impressed during his first season at Anfield, receiving a SofaScore rating of 7.11, although Liverpool ended that campaign trophyless.

It wasn’t to be until 2018/19 that Matip lifted his first piece of silverware with the Reds, going on to make eight appearances in the Champions League and starting in the 2-0 final victory over Tottenham Hotspur. His WhoScored average rating for the tournament was 7.12 and was good enough to rank second out of the whole squad, proving his importance to Klopp.

However, injury problems resulted in the player featuring in just 25 matches over the next two seasons as Liverpool claimed their first Premier League title.

The £100k-per-week colossus, who was dubbed “underrated” by former Tottenham player Jermaine Jenas last season, roared back in impressive style in 2021/22, playing in 43 matches in all competitions and even chipping in with three league goals for good measure.

The 31-year-old has been Liverpool’s fifth-best performer in the Champions League this season, averaging a 7.27 rating from SofaScore, and despite having Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez as options to partner Van Dijk, Klopp still values the importance of Matip’s experience.

With CIES Football Observatory valuing Matip at €20m (£17.3m), Klopp has certainly stuck gold with the player and could make a solid profit if moving him on next summer.

With 18 months left on his current contract, the German will most likely avoid this scenario and utilise the centre-back as much as possible.