Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp plays down chance of signing centre-back in January and ‘hints’ at Joel Matip deal despite injury

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not expecting to sign a new centre-back unless a world-class player is left 'under the Christmas tree.'

The Reds recently confirmed Joel Matip will miss the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL).

It means Liverpool are left with four fully fit centre-backs: skipper Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Jarell Quansah.

Previewing his side's clash away to Crystal Palace on Saturday, Klopp played down the club's chances of being able to recruit a new defender this winter.

«In eight years I've never understood this, you always talk about transfers as if it would be the easiest thing in the world,» he told reporters.

«So find a player, find the money for it — as if we have endless money — I really don't understand it. Everybody; [the media], fans, everybody.

»They all cost money, it must be the right player. Can you tell me a club which wants to sell a top, top centre-back? Not [any] centre-back, a top centre-back because he has to play for Liverpool. So why should we start that process?

«We have for four or five days known that Joel will be out for a long, long time which is really bad for us. We still have four centre-backs, that's absolutely alright.

»If we would have had a fifth centre-back already in beforehand it's a completely different team dynamic, one is not involved. So it was perfect, this is now perfect as long as we can go with this four. If not, then it will be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up.

«But it was never a wonderland where you can bring in one world-class centre-back until the other is fit again. As long as other clubs don't put them under the Christmas tree for us and say, 'Take it and use it as long as you need