5 Players Liverpool Should Target in January to Tackle Their Injury Crisis

After originally signing as a midfielder, Conor Coady has been ever-present in the Wolverhampton Wanderers side since joining from Huddersfield Town in 2015. After two brilliant years in the Premier League, this season, Coady has made his international debut, scored his first international goal and now become a regular within every England squad ahead of Euro 2021.

The St Helens-born grew up as a Liverpool fan and came through their academy before making just one league appearance for the Reds. Since leaving the club, Coady has transitioned from a centre midfielder and blossomed into a commanding, ball-playing centre-back and truly become one of the Premier League's top defenders.

As he reaches the pinnacle of his career, this season provides Coady with the chance to fulfil his boyhood dream and resign for his beloved Liverpool to help the injury crisis, which has seen Klopp lose both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

As the Reds attempt to retain the Premier League title, a contract offer could be too good for Coady to turn down and this would be a real test of his loyalty towards the club that helped make him the player he is today.

No doubt the Englishman would consider the option but given his exceptional mentality as Wolves' captain, don't be surprised if he turns an offer down, especially with a place in England's starting XI a near guarantee right now ahead of the Euro's.

Odds for Coady to join Liverpool are now at 4/1 ahead of the January transfer window.

Ben White was one of the main talking points of the summer window, with Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United unable to reach a deal after an incredible loan spell at the Yorkshire club, where he played a massive part in helping them win the Championship title.

White is one of the hottest English prospects in the Premier League and offers an option that other potential incoming centre-halves do not for Liverpool: a future and the present. After only just turning 23 in October, White is just a year older than Trent Alexander-Arnold and will still have a part to play in the future of the club, even when van Dijk and Gomez return from injury.

This means that the ex-Leeds man is not a temporary fix, but also a future investment for Klopp’s side, but this is why he is likely to cost a pretty penny with Brighton apparently slapping a £50m price tag on the defender.

It would be a wise signing for the club for the now and the future. Ben White to Liverpool odds currently sit at 7/2 and the Seagulls' man remains the shortest odds out of all potential signings this January.

Another man who is also in the treatment room right now is Caglar Soyuncu, however, the Leicester City man is expected back in December to help continue another early title charge for the Foxes.

Soyuncu was one of the most talked-about and sought-after defenders in the Premier League last season as he helped Leicester finish fifth and with the sixth-best defensive record in the league in what was his first full season as a regular.

The 24-year-old is, similarly to White, also an investment for the future as well as the current season, given how he has only just become a key player in the Foxes' current lineup. Soyuncu would no doubt set Liverpool back quite a hefty figure, as Brendan Rogers will need him back in the defence ahead of a crucial period and how the ex-Reds boss won't want to sell to a direct rival.

Soyuncu has been a target for clubs like Manchester United in the past year, but if Liverpool want to patch up their injury-hit defence and prepare for the future, the Turkey international might be their best bet.

James Tarkowski was another centre-back that was continuously linked with a move in the summer, as Burnley held off interest from West Ham United and Leicester, with a £40m price tag rumoured to be the fee the Clarets were after.

The Englishman has won two England caps in the past few years and he was one of just seven players to play every minute of last season and registered more clearances than any other player.

However, most importantly to Klopp’s side, the Burnley captain averaged almost 14 ball recoveries allowing him to start attacks from defence, which was the seventh-highest average in the league.

The former Oldham Athletic defender is one of the more underrated players in the league as his ability has rarely been questioned, despite Burnley's drop down the table in 2020. Tarkowski would be a reliable replacement to solve Liverpool’s problems, and at 27, they get a man ready to battle for his place for a number of years.

Following the theme of English centre-backs, Tarkowski is 6/1 to sign on at Anfield, although he did apparently grow up supporting rivals Manchester United and could still cost close to the reported £40m.

Another English defender who made a name for himself in the lower leagues is Tyrone Mings, who joined Ipswich Town from non-league side Chippenham Town, before securing a dream move to Bournemouth. However, an injury-hit three seasons down south meant that Mings never met his potential and was loaned out to Aston Villa, where he transitioned from a left-back into a centre-back.

Mings suddenly looked like the player many thought he could be and signed for Villa on a permanent deal, and since then, the Englishman has earned six England caps and proven to be a solid defender. The ex-Bournemouth man is also versatile enough to play in a back four or a back three and at left-back and centre-back, which will always prove vital for almost any club inside the top six, especially one as cursed with injuries as Liverpool's.

However, Mings signed a new four-year contract in September to keep him at Villa Park until 2024, which could mean Liverpool have to pay over the odds to secure his signature, especially given how this deal would be negotiated in January.

Mings to Liverpool odds are now at 6/1

By Tom Eaton