Jurgen Klopp delivers reality check over possible January signings

Jurgen Klopp admits it will be very difficult for Liverpool to sign a top quality centre-back at short notice following Joel Matip's season-ending knee injury.

Matip ruptured his ACL in Liverpool's 4-3 win over Fulham last weekend and will undergo surgery before a lengthy rehabilitation.

The Reds have Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and youngster Jarell Quansah as their four fit centre-back options, but Gomez has also been filling in at full-back on both flanks because of the need for Trent Alexander-Arnold to play in midfield and Andy Robertson's long-term shoulder injury.

understands that Liverpool are considering their options as a result, not wanting to be short of cover as they jockey for position in the Premier League title race, but Klopp was realistic in his latest press conference over how difficult it is to sign a player of sufficient quality during the season.

“In eight years here, I just never understand this. You always talk about transfers as if they would be the easiest thing in the world,” Klopp said. «Just bring in a player, find the money for it, as if we have endless money. I really don’t understand it. Everybody, you, the fans, everyone talks about it.

“They all cost money. It has to be the right player. Tell me a club who wants to sell a top, top centre-half who could play for Liverpool? Why should we start that process? We’ve only known for a few days that Joel will be out for a long time, which is really bad for us. We still have four centre-halves which is absolutely alright.

“If we’d had a fifth one already in before that, then it would have been a completely different team dynamic. He wouldn’t have been involved and we wouldn’t have seen steps with him or him.»

Klopp pointed out that