Salah and four Liverpool players who could leave in January

Suraj Radia

• 20 Dec 2023 14:19 CST
• 4 min read

Liverpool will explore their options in the January transfer window as they look to cement their title push but making signings could mean that Jurgen Klopp is forced to sell some of his stars.

The Reds spent more than €150 million in the summer and sit one point behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League but injuries to key players could see signings being made this winter.

Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo last January, indicating they would be open to the right deal if it arose, but it is possible they may have to sell players before making significant additions to their squad.

FootballTransfers takes a look at which players could leave Anfield next month to help fund any incoming deals for Klopp.

Thiago Alcantara

2024 will likely see the end of Thiago Alcantara’s time at Liverpool, with his contract due to expire in the summer and the likelihood of an extension looking increasingly unlikely.

The 32-year-old has not played since April and, while Klopp expects to have him available for selection next month, the reality could be that Thiago is sold to get Liverpool a return on a player who will leave for free and has not been relied on as part of the squad this season.

Teams from Saudi Arabia are believed to be interested in Thiago and Liverpool will be open to taking a cut-price fee to get the Spaniard’s wages off their books in order to reinvest the money elsewhere.

Fabio Carvalho

Fabio Carvalho was expected to have a breakout season on loan at RB Leipzig after joining the German side as a replacement for Dominik Szoboszlai, who moved to Liverpool at the same time.

However, Carvalho’s only start in the Bundesliga came in September and he has played less than 100 minutes of league football since, prompting Liverpool to make plans to cut his loan short in January.

Although Carvalho could be used as a squad option upon his return, it is more feasible that the 21-year-old will be loaned out again to gain him more first team experience, with Liverpool still rating the youngster highly despite his struggles.

Nat Phillips

Another player in a similar boat to Carvalho is Nat Phillips, who has made just three starts for Celtic and is due to have his loan expire with the Scottish giants at the end of the month.

While Phillips could be used as emergency cover in defence after Joel Matip’s long-term injury setback, the reality is more likely that the 26-year-old is moved on, either permanently or on loan.

Phillips has 18 months left on his contract and has previously attracted attention from a host of sides and Liverpool will seemingly have no qualms parting ways with a player who has made just 19 Premier League appearances in his career.

Mohamed Salah

The thought of selling a club legend and the team’s most important player in the middle of the season is unfathomable for Liverpool but it will still not stop teams from the Saudi Pro League trying their luck to sign Mohamed Salah.

Salah is believed to be the dream player for Saudi Arabia’s sporting project and they had a bid in excess of €100 million turned down for the Egyptian during the summer.

While Liverpool may accept Salah will eventually move to the Gulf before his contract expires in 2026, a record transfer offer could tempt the Reds to parting ways with their talisman sooner rather than later in the hopes of replacing him with younger talent of a similar pedigree.