Arne Slot on the prospect of a move for a defender in the January transfer market after an injury to Jeremie Frimpong in Liverpool’s 6-0 Champions League win at home to Qarabag
Jeremie Frimpong leaves the pitch with an injury during the Champions League match between Liverpool and Qarabag at Anfield on January 28, 2026(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Arne Slot has played down the prospect of moving into the transfer market after Jeremie Frimpong suffered a suspected groin injury in Liverpool’s 6-0 hammering of Qarabag.
Frimpong pulled up inside the first five minutes of the game as the Reds comfortably secured their passage to the last 16 of the Champions League against the Azerbaijan side.
The issue to the Netherlands international, who will be thoroughly assessed on Thursday, means the Reds are down to the bare bones defensively, particularly at right-back given Conor Bradley is also out for the season with a serious knee injury.
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Midfielder Wataru Endo replaced Frimpong, a £29m summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, but Slot, who is also without the injured Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate, who is out on compassionate grounds, steered clear of talk of completing a deal before next week’s transfer deadline.
“We as a club always make decisions, as we at least make smart decisions,” the Liverpool head coach said.
“So we not only look at the short term, we also look at the long term. Longer term, that’s why we sign young players as well.”(We sign) very good players, but young ones that can still develop. Now we can see the development with a few. And it always depends on, are there players available that we think can help us?”And if there are, can we afford them? And does this also be helpful for the longer term future, because our players come back from injury as well.
“I just said that we don’t have a squad where we have four right-backs and 12 midfielders and three or four No.9s.”That’s not how it works over here. So we have to do smart things for the near future, but also for the longer future. Let’s first see how Jeremie is.
“Maybe he’s not able to play Saturday, but maybe he’s able to play one or two days later. We’re now going to a schedule with one game a week. So that would usually mean less injuries. But you’re never sure.”Slot added: “It’s obvious that if a player goes out like that, you don’t expect them to play Saturday against Newcastle (United). Maybe I can come back to something I said yesterday, when I said that it might, might, might.
“I think they used the word might, but apparently not everybody is listening very properly to what I say.”