Three areas Liverpool need to strengthen in January

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Centre-back

Another position that has come under scrutiny is centre-back. It’s not just Klopp who has suffered from a lack of quality options at the heart of the defence; it is an issue that can be traced all the way back to Brendan Rodgers’ reign. Arguably, not since the days of Jamie Carragher and Sammi Hyypia have the Reds boasted a reliable centre-back pairing – and this has been to their detriment. Once again, it was a position Klopp had highlighted as in need for reinforcements, with the summer purchases of Joel Matip from Schalke 04 and Ragnar Klavan from Augsburg designed to bolster his options.

Such is the unique challenge of the Premier League that it is not unusual for there to be a period of adjustment for new signings, particularly those from abroad. Nevertheless, the fact that Liverpool have not improved defensively will be a cause of concern for Klopp. To win matches, they seem to be relying on outscoring opponents rather than keeping clean sheets. Mamadou Sakho has been completely marginalised and looks to be on his way out of Anfield, which has meant that Lucas Leiva has occasionally been called in as emergency cover. Although Dejan Lovren’s form has picked up after a difficult first season on Merseyside, Klopp could do with a quality addition to match the consistency of Liverpool’s rivals.