Five players Liverpool could target for a January loan

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 25 Jan 2023 14:25 GMT
• 4 min read

Liverpool’s January transfer window may not be over.

Following the arrival of Cody Gakpo from PSV, a deal they managed to achieve despite interest from Manchester United, there had been hopes that the Anfield club might make another deal for a midfielder.

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Manager Jurgen Klopp, though, has repeatedly insisted that he is happy with his squad, despite a series of adverse results that threaten their participation in the Champions League next season.

Consequently, rumours continue to suggest that they could make a late move for a player on loan, with the Daily Mail stating that they are monitoring a number of top European clubs to strike a deal.

But who might be available?

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Who could Liverpool sign on loan?

Matteo Guendouzi – Marseille

Linked with a surprise move to Aston Villa this January, the former Arsenal player has been performing to a high enough level to force himself into the France international team that reached the World Cup final.

An energetic and competitive midfielder, he would fit Klopp’s ethos if his temper can continue to be curbed.

Marseille are unlikely to want to sell, but if Guendouzi was offered Liverpool, he would find it hard not to push for a return to the Premier League.

Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona

An ambitious shout, but not an impossible one given Barcelona’s financial problems. De Jong was a figure that the Catalans wanted to push out in the summer due to his astronomical wages, which remain in place.

Head coach Xavi would push against such a deal, but Liverpool were one of the clubs interested in the Netherlands star in the summer, so the interest is likely to remain.

Franck Kessie – Barcelona

A likelier addition from Barcelona, Kessie arrived as a free agent in the summer after leaving AC Milan but has struggled to make an impact at Camp Nou.

The Catalans likely favour a sale of the Ivory Coast star in a bid to raise funds, which could make a loan more complicated, although if it came down to it, Barca surely would not refuse.

Inter are leading the chase for him.

Houssem Aouar – Lyon

Has been linked with a move to the Premier League for years now but a deal has never materialised. Aouar has seen his standing at Lyon drop as his contract winds down to end in the summer, while he has lost the faith of the club’s fans, who have told him to ‘get out’.

Again, a sale would suit OL, but simply getting the France international’s wages off their books in January may be welcomed, so a loan has to be treated as a possibility.

Dani Ceballos – Real Madrid

A player with 49 Premier League appearances to his name, Ceballos is largely kicking his heels on the bench at Real Madrid, where he has been limited to brief cameos here and there this season.

The 26-year-old would add the type of energy to the Liverpool midfield that has been lacking and with a contract that expires in the summer, it may be that they can leverage a loan deal somehow.