5 transfers Liverpool could still make in final week of January window as Jorrel Hato ruled out
We’re now in the final week of the January transfer window, but there is still time for Liverpool to make signings in order to boost its title hopes this season.
The January window is set to close at midnight on Monday, February 3, meaning there are now less than seven days remaining for clubs to make any last-minute additions to their sides. The Reds are yet to make any signings at this point, and it is looking increasingly likely that no new faces will make their way through the door at Anfield.
The chances of Arne Slot being handed any more players likely haven’t been helped by the club’s ongoing transfer sagas surrounding Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mohamed Salah. What's more, countless names have come and gone, with Jorrel Hato the latest to have seemingly been ruled out, despite his surprise trip to Merseyside at the weekend.
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Still, there are plenty of names being linked with a move to Anfield. Liverpool.com has taken a look at five signings that the Reds could still possibly do before the end of the window, if recent speculation is anything to go by.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
The links with Hato came amid plenty more rumors linking Liverpool with a new left-back. Unfortunately for the Reds, Milos Kerkez - who was reportedly Richard Hughes’ top priority - looks to have ruled himself out of a move to Anfield.
Therefore, Liverpool may have to turn to the next name on the list, with The iPaper claiming that it is Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri.
There don’t seem to be too many suggestions that the Algeria international will be on the move before the end of the current window, so if the Reds are to make a play, it seems more likely it would come in the summer. Given the danger Wolves are in amid their relegation battle, though, and with the bounce under new manager Vitor Pereira seemingly short-lived, Liverpool could use the opportunity to see whether Ait-Nouri wants a quicker way out of the club.
Patrick Dorgu
Another left-back option, although one that might be paraded around Old Trafford soon. Manchester United hasn’t yet gotten a deal for Patrick Dorgu over the line, though.
In fact, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has suggested United has already come up with a plan B if their attempts to sign Dorgu fail, with a buy-back clause on Alvaro Carreras from Benfica being seriously considered. If Liverpool’s rival finds itself falling back on that option, perhaps the door will be open for the Reds to snatch their rivals’ first-choice option.
Dorgu has been linked with Liverpool, although rumors have died down recently amid United’s pursuit. He could be a player worth revisiting if Ruben Amorim doesn’t get his man.
Rayan Cherki
Despite a "gentleman’s agreement" being in place and Lyon seemingly needing to drum up some funds after being handed a provisional relegation, Rayan Cherki still remains at the club.
The forward has been linked with a move away for some time, and it seemed almost certain that an exit would happen this window. With just days to go now before the deadline, you have to wonder whether a move will materialize.
Liverpool has been one of the most consistent destinations touted for Cherki, along with Paris Saint-Germain, while Football Insider has now claimed Newcastle is in the running. According to Fichajes, he has an agreement in place that could see him leave for just $23m (£19m/€22m).
El Hadji Malick Diouf
El Hadji Malick Diouf is a name that has come from almost nowhere recently, but Liverpool is seemingly interested in the Slavia Prague left-back - or at least the club’s chairman says they are.
What’s more, Jaroslav Tvrdik has seemingly left the door open for the Reds to make a move, having admitted it would be impossible for Slavia to stand in Diouf’s way if they did.
"If Liverpool and Chelsea, who were also interested in him, had come with an offer of around 17-18 million euros, I would have hesitated to approach it differently from the perspective of promoting the club or the player's interest,” he told Kudy Bezi Zajic.
"If Chelsea comes, we wouldn't keep anyone. Nothing will change, it's just not possible objectively. One has to admit that the Czech league and Slavia have some limits. Even PSG, when it comes to breaking the bank, won't keep their player and he'll go to Real Madrid. We're part of a football chain and we're not at the top of it."
Karim Adeyemi
A name Liverpool is already very familiar with. In fact, the Reds have kept their eye on Karim Adeyemi for a long time.
Perhaps this might finally be the year that the club acts upon its long-standing interest, with the German international being heavily linked with a move away from Borussia Dortmund before the end of the current window.
A move to Italy looks as though it could be on the cards, with Corriere dello Sport claiming Napoli is doing all it can to sign Adeyemi, no doubt with replacing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in mind. Liverpool is also linked, though, suggesting the Reds might put up a fight for the 23-year-old’s signing.
It’s not a signing that perhaps adds up at the moment given the options Slot has at his disposal, but with Mohamed Salah’s future up in the air, another forward might not be the worst way to go, and FSG has seemingly been keen on Adeyemi in the past.