Liverpool monitoring January options but time is running out – Steele

Liverpool are approaching the final stretch of the January transfer window with patience rather than urgency, as fresh reporting outlines the players we are watching rather than deals close to completion.

That update comes via Lewis Steele reporting for Mail Sport, offering a clearer picture of where our thinking currently sits.

Despite outside noise, this is not a window defined by panic buys or last-minute fixes.

Instead, Liverpool appear to be gathering information, refining shortlists and accepting that January is rarely the time for sweeping change.

Liverpool’s January shortlist and what it tells us

According to Steele, several names have been watched this month, though none are described as imminent signings.

One of those is Joel Ordonez of Club Brugge, whose supposed move to Anfield earlier this month was dismissed.

The 21-year-old defender is valued at around £42m and, while one to keep an eye on long term, is seen as more likely a summer conversation than a January one.

Liverpool have also been tracking Yan Diomande, the teenage winger at RB Leipzig.

His output this season explains the interest (via SofaScore):

Diomande would command a significant fee and is firmly in the category of elite-potential rather than immediate fix.

Another forward on the radar is Said El Mala of 1. FC Koln, whose seven goals despite limited starts underline why he has been watched.

At the younger end of the scale, Liverpool had been scouting 17-year-old left-back Yisa Alao, though Chelsea are now expected to win that race.

None of these names are household figures and that, in itself, is telling.

Why Liverpool’s January approach looks deliberate

This update reinforces a wider theme around Liverpool’s recruitment.

After a heavy-spending summer, January appears to be about restraint and preparation.

We have already explored this with Ordonez, where earlier reporting suggested Liverpool were leading the race before the situation cooled.

Similarly, Christian Falk’s comments on Diomande placed us among Europe’s biggest clubs tracking his development rather than forcing an early move.

From our point of view, this shows a clear contrast in strategy.

Rather than chasing ready-made solutions, Liverpool are monitoring players who fit a longer-term vision.

That also aligns with the reality of the January market, where inflated fees and limited availability often make decisive moves impractical.

With little time left in the window, a deal is not impossible but the evidence suggests Liverpool are comfortable waiting.

Liverpool’s January shortlist is built around potential rather than profile, underlining a quieter window shaped by long-term planning rather than short-term pressure.

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