Liverpool are already looking to spend the money they got off Coutinho’s transfer. The constant changes in terms of player positions makes it hard to predict what kind of player Klopp wants and where he needs help most.
Even if they lost an attacking player, it is very likely Liverpool will focus on the defense and the midfield. Up front they already have Mane, Firmino and Salah. It`s fair to say there is a very small chance of finding someone as good or better than these 3 in the winter or even in the summer for that matter.
The midfield and the defense on the other hand could get some upgrades and according to Metro, those upgrades might come from Serie A. With £142 million to spend, no one from Italy should be too expensive.
Roma’s Kevin Strootman is the closest to Liverpool now as rumors have it talks have already been opened. The Dutchman would be replacing a departing Emre Can who is on Juventus’ list apparently and is looking to leave after a somewhat inconsistent half-season.
Strootman (27) is in excellent form on the other hand. He is also one of the most determined players you’ll see. He recovered from knee injury that kept him out of the game for more than a year only to play better than before. The Dutchman was heavily linked to a move to Manchester United when they were being managed by Louis van Gaal but nothing ever came of it.
The Serie A is a tough place, so he wouldn’t take much time to adapt to the Premier League. The man is world class and a year under Klopp would make him one of the PL’s top midfielders no doubt about it.
Currently, there are two names on the transfer list. One we’ve already disclosed in our piece on Liverpool being linked with a move for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez and the other one is Kevin Strootman. Money should not be a problem in either case seeing that Roma are rumored to be looking for about £30 million and Leicester for £50 million.
It remains to be seen if Roma’s 27-year-old defensive midfielder will be the first move after Coutinho’s exit.