Liverpool transfer truth clear and Jürgen Klopp’s surprise Player of the Match shout shows why

Liverpool just played its last match of the year. It managed to end 2023 on a high, navigating its Boxing Day trip to Burnley and earning a 2-0 win. That was also enough to lift Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table, although whether it will still be there come 2024 is now out of Klopp’s hands. With Arsenal playing twice in the meantime, it seems unlikely.

But if the Gunners do slip up, Liverpool will be hoping to capitalize come New Year’s Day, when it hosts Newcastle United. That’s expected to be the last game with Mohamed Salah for a while, with the Egyptian heading off to the African Cup of Nations. How Klopp navigates that remains to be seen. He’s unlikely to turn to the transfer market for solutions, with Harvey Elliott offering a like-for-like option (positionally, at least) and Darwin Núñez, Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo all expected to step up as well.

But the dawn of January will nonetheless bring with it some transfer questions. Of those, two have been asked with the most urgency and insistence. The first pertains to central defense. Klopp has been pretty clear that he doesn’t intend to recruit in order to fix his injury problems there, and the rise of Jarell Quansah somewhat justifies that stance, even if most would still prefer some more depth.

The second question relates to the base of the midfield. That’s where Alexis Mac Allister has made himself at home since arriving, but there’s a lingering sense among some that his future lies further up the pitch. Klopp won’t be in any hurry to accommodate such a move, with the likes of Elliott, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones already scrapping for positions. But while Mac Allister’s prowess in a deeper role has been welcome, there have been moments where it’s felt as though Liverpool could do with a real specialist.

Wataru Endo Fortress

Thankfully, one has emerged at Anfield. It wasn’t clear what role Wataru Endō would play when he signed in the summer, but he has grown hugely in prominence with Mac Allister sidelined, and will now be firmly in contention for certain fixtures even once the World Cup winner returns. His rise has been such that Liverpool won’t need to use the January transfer market for a number six. Klopp can’t ignore Endō’s age and might revisit the long-term plan come the summer, but the last few week