The January transfer window opens Thursday, triggering a month-long scramble to make any final personnel moves that will cover the rest of the Premier League season. For clubs vying for a top spot, it’s a chance to reinforce in the push for a trophy — or multiple. For teams looking to escape relegation, it’s an opportunity to bring in reinforcements to finish the job.

But it’s not just about the movement of players between clubs. Now is the time for clubs to worry about stars approaching the end of their contracts — whether hitting free agency in the summer of 2026 or 2027 — and extend them on new terms before they are persuaded to join elsewhere.

As such, it’s time for another edition of “Keep, Dump or Extend” — and this time we’re looking at Liverpool. Mark Ogden and Gab Marcotti are playing the role of sporting director to look at the questions facing Liverpool all fronts, from acquisitions and exits to contract renewals. Let’s get started!

Liverpool: Keep, Dump or Extend?

• League position, as of Dec. 30: Fourth, 32 points. (Last year’s finish: 1st, 84 points)
• Realistic goal: Champions League qualification through Premier League — or by winning the Champions League or FA Cup

1. Salah is now away at AFCON and his future remains unresolved: How do you deal with your star player?

Ogden: Two weeks ago, in the immediate aftermath of Mohamed Salah‘s contentious comments about his playing time, I would have said that Liverpool should be prepared to let him go in January if they receive a ridiculous offer from Saudi Arabia.

But the subsequent injury to Alexander Isak — who faces two-to-three months out with a broken leg — changes everything. Because of the Isak injury, Liverpool can’t afford to willingly part with their most consistent goalscorer, regardless of his feelings towards manager Arne Slot.

Isak could be back and scoring goals in early March, but that’s the best-case scenario, so the knock-on effect with Salah is that his future must now be put on hold until the summer.

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Arne Slot: Myself and Mohamed Salah have moved on from Leeds interview

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed that himself and Mohamed Salah have moved forward from the Egyptian’s explosive interview earlier this month.

Marcotti: The man has a contract: if he wants to stay, he stays. That’s the reality, even if these supposed massive offers from Saudi Arabia materialise.

We know Salah is not going to move for money — if he was, he would have gone in the summer as a free agent. The only thing that would make Salah leave is the realisation that he can no longer get in the starting XI regularly. He’s not there yet and with Isak out, he may never get there.

I’d like to see Slot come up with a system that masks Salah’s weaknesses and exploits his strengths. (The version of a 4-4-2 we saw at Inter Milan could be a solution.) Slot has fiddled with so many systems he may as well try that upon Salah’s return.

2. Isak is injured: Replace him from within or sign another forward?

Ogden: Liverpool will hardly miss Isak’s goals when he is sidelined because the £125m summer signing has scored just two in the Premier League since arriving from Newcastle. But if his strike at Spurs was the catalyst for a run of form, then Isak’s absence will be a big blow.

Either way, while it is a major setback for Liverpool, it would be foolish to rush into the market for a replacement in January. Salah will be back by mid-January at the latest and Slot can already count on Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and teenager Rio Ngumoha as attacking options. Add in the goals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Liverpool have plenty of cover for Isak.

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Will Liverpool need to sign a replacement for Isak in January?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens talk about Alexander Isak’s injury against Tottenham and debate whether Liverpool will need to bring in a replacement striker.

Marcotti: Assuming nobody else gets injured, you don’t sign another forward. You don’t need another guy to replace someone who was contributing very little and couldn’t get reliably prove he deserved to start.

Let Ekitike play center forward and when he’s out, you have Cody Gakpo. Or go with a front two and get Florian Wirtz, Federico Chiesa and Salah (when he’s back) into the mix.

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3. Bring in more reinforcements at other positions, or stand pat with this Liverpool squad?

Ogden: They need to sign a centre-half.

Even if Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté continue to avoid injury, they need reliable cover or even replacements. Joe Gomez can’t be relied upon to stay fit and summer signing Giovanni Leoni, who is still just 19, is out until next season with an ACL injury.

Liverpool made a mess of their attempt to sign Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace and they may have blown their best chance of signing the England defender. But, with his contract due to expire in June and Palace vulnerable to a good offer, it would make sense to try again in early January.

Marcotti: Whether it’s Guehi or somebody else, they need another option — and it needs to be starting calibre.

I can understand not wanting to spend big in January because you rarely get value in that situation, but then they should at least seek a loan move for someone they like who is presentable in the role.

4. Elliott’s loan at Aston Villa has been a disaster: Should Liverpool try to recall him?

Ogden: Absolutely. Harvey Elliott was the star of the tournament when England won the U-21 Euros last summer, but Unai Emery has given the 22-year-old just 97 minutes of action in the Premier League during his loan at Aston Villa.

Elliott has not appeared in any competition since a four-minute substitute outing in the Europa League win at Feyenoord on Oct. 2. But due to FIFA rules, Elliott can’t play for another club after representing Liverpool and Villa this season, so Liverpool should negotiate a deal to take him back to Anfield.

Marcotti: This is a no-brainer. Bring him home. He’s versatile and hard-working, and he can do a job for you in midfield and on the wing. He didn’t play much last season (though he still appeared in 28 games), but Liverpool are in a different situation this year.

It also makes sense because with a year left on his contract, you’ll want to know if he’s worth an extension.

5. Robertson and Konate are both out of contract in the summer: Renew, or allow them to leave for free?

Ogden: I would offer Andy Robertson a new one-year contract as quickly as possible. It doesn’t matter that he will be 32 in March — Robertson’s experience and reliability have been crucial, and underused, qualities this season. He definitely has a role to play while Milos Kerkez tries to adjust to life at Anfield.

I think Ibrahima Konaté is a different matter. At 26, he is in the peak years of his career so should have been secured to a new contract at least a year ago, but his performances in 2025 have not warranted an extension and it seems mind are made up about him at Anfield.

Marcotti: I don’t think Robertson is keen to leave, so I imagine he’d take a one- or even two-year extension given he’s 31, provided he accepts the fact that he’s now a squad player.

This feels like a re-run of last year with the three free agents-to-be (Salah, Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold). The difference is that while Salah and Van Dijk accepted two-year extensions because they were older, Konate’s age means he won’t do that — nor should he.

I don’t think Liverpool ought to give up on Konate just yet, but they have to be disciplined on what they’re willing to spend, just as they were with Trent Alexander-Arnold. I’d also rely on Slot and the analytics nerds at the club to offer a convincing explanation of just why he’s been so much worse and whether it can be fixed.

6. Liverpool have a batch of 2027 expiring contracts: Alisson, Van Dijk, Wataru Endo, Salah, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Stefan Bajcetic. Who should be extended now?

Ogden: I’d try to nail down Alisson Becker and Curtis Jones to long-term extensions, but the jury is out on the rest of them.

Van Dijk and Salah are obviously club legends, but both have shown signs of slowing down this season after signing two-years deals in 2025. Let’s see how they finish 2026 — if they’re still at Anfield in 12 months’ time.

Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic and Joe Gomez all have different situations, but none of them should expect a new deal anytime soon.

Marcotti: I’m not sure Alisson is as automatic a choice as he was. He’s been hurt in each of the last three seasons. And with a goalkeeper of his age, 33, you can bide your time a little.

Extending Jones is a no-brainer — at the right price — and it also gives you leverage over Alexis Mac Allister, whose deal is up in 2028.

I agree there’s no rush on the others, though once Bajcetic is fit I’d like to see him gets minutes. He was a very promising player prior to this injuries.

7. Slot’s contract expires in June 2027: Reward him with a new deal, or wait until this turbulent season is over?

Ogden: It feels as though Slot has weathered the early season storm and returned to some kind of normality, but let’s see how the season plays out. Liverpool could end the season as Champions League winners, but equally, they could miss out on the top four and end up with no trophies.

It sounds wild, but despite winning the Premier League last season, Slot still needs to prove he has earned a contract extension.

Marcotti: Conventional wisdom has it that you don’t want coaches to go into a season with just one year left on their deals because it undermines their authority. I think Liverpool have already shown, with the Salah, Van Dijk, Trent sagas of last year that this isn’t necessarily the case.

If you’re a well-run club with a strong presence from the sporting director and CEO of football, a good coach like Slot shouldn’t need the safety blanket of more years on his contract. Slot is a grown-up. He knows he hasn’t performed this season and I don’t think he’ll flip out if you don’t give him deal.

On the other hand, if he finds the right balance and turns it around, by all means, reward him in the spring.

Former Barcelona loanee João Cancelo is once again in the sights of the LaLiga champions, while Manchester United target Yan Diomande is wanted by Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s summer grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– Botafogo banned 3 windows for unpaid Almada fee
– Sources: Palace agree £35m fee for Spurs’ Johnson
– Sources: City in advanced talks for Bournemouth’s Semenyo

TRENDING RUMORS

– Barcelona have made contact for Al Hilal wing-back João Cancelo, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 31-year-old is set to leave the Saudi Pro League side during the transfer window following a fallout with manager Simone Inzaghi, with Cancelo not expected to be registered for competitions in the second half of the campaign. The Blaugrana could face competition from Juventus and Internazionale, who have also enquired regarding a loan deal. Cancelo has made just six appearances across all competitions this season.

– Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are set to challenge Manchester United for the signature of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, Sky Sports reports. The Red Devils could accelerate in their pursuit of the 19-year-old if other clubs make a move for him in January after looking to have missed out on Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. An offer worth up to £62m would be required to land Diomande, who is currently representing Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

– Multiple clubs are tracking Manchester City attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva. Calciomercato reports that Juventus and AC Milan are interested in the 31-year-old, who has also been linked with a switch to Barcelona, while clubs in Saudi Arabia could also make a move for him. Silva is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, where he arrived from AS Monaco in the summer of 2017.

– Real Madrid have stepped up their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, reports Diario AS. Los Blancos have reportedly expressed their interest in the 25-year-old, and they are set to begin negotiations for him on Thursday when the transfer market opens. The LaLiga club are believed to also have Liverpool‘s Ibrahima Konaté, 26, and Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano, 27, on their shortlist as potential alternatives. Meanwhile, the Reds remain keen on Guéhi after narrowly missing out on securing a deal for him over the summer.

– A move for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande is being weighed up by Paris Saint-Germain, according to A Bola. It is said that the Liga Portugal side, who could be open to parting ways with him next summer, are set to stand firm over their valuation of the 22-year-old, and they will dismiss all offers that “fall short” of the €80m release clause that is expected to be included in a planned contract extension.

EXPERT TAKE

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Why Barcelona has been the right place for Marcus Rashford

Shaka Hislop and Steve Nicol talk about Marcus Rashford’s evolution at Barcelona compared to when he was at Manchester United.

OTHER RUMORS

– Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the situation of Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche, who impressed when he faced Thomas Frank’s side in the Champions League this season. (Daily Mail)

– Brahim Diaz has a new contract agreed at Real Madrid for “several more years” with the playmaker’s deal due to expire in 2027. (Marca)

– Al Hilal are hopeful of renewing the contract of midfielder Ruben Neves amid interest from Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid. (Diario AS)

– Plans have been set in place by Napoli to sign on-loan Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund on a permanent deal by activating the €44m option clause. (Nicolo Schira)

– Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka has been offered to Napoli. (Nicolo Schira)

– Real Madrid have no plans to consider loan offers in January for either attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono or striker Gonzalo Garcia. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Manchester City defender Nathan Aké has turned down a move to West Ham. (talkSPORT)

– Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali remains on the radar of Juventus, who are lining up a move for the summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Newcastle are alongside Borussia Dortmund in the race for Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb. (Daily Mail)

– West Ham are set to make an offer to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. (The Guardian)

– AC Milan have made a proposal to sign Santos left-back Souza. (Diario AS)

– OGC Nice have agreed a deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Elye Wahi. (Foot Mercato)

– Juventus are looking at West Ham midfielder Guido Rodriguez. (Sky Sports)

– Enquiries have been made by Leeds and West Ham to Lazio regarding striker Valentin Castellanos. He is also on the radar of Flamengo. (Nicolo Schira)

– FC Porto and Sporting CP are keen on West Ham winger Luis Guilherme. (TEAMtalk)

– Wolves midfielder Marshall Munetsi is on the radar of Paris FC, Nantes, and OGC Nice. (Foot Mercato)

– An offer for Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perin from Genoa has been dismissed. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Multiple teams in Europe are interested in West Ham striker Callum Marshall. (Daily Telegraph)

Former Australian Test batsman Damien Martyn has been rushed to hospital in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis, media reports said Wednesday.

The 54-year-old, who played 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 and 208 one-day internationals, was admitted on Boxing Day last week after falling ill while lying down.

Australian media said he was being treated for meningitis, which can be deadly.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

“He is getting the best of treatment,” Test great and close friend Adam Gilchrist told The Australian newspaper.

“Amanda (his partner) and his family know that a lot of people are sending their prayers and best wishes.”

Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann, a long-time teammate of Martyn’s, also sent support.

“Lots of love and prayers… keep strong and fighting, legend. Love to the family,” he wrote on X.

Known as one of the game’s great strokemakers, Martyn became a key figure in Steve Waugh´s all-powerful Australian side, hitting 13 centuries and averaging 46.37.

He was also part of the Australian team that won the 2003 ODI World Cup, cracking 88 not out in the final against India in a match-winning partnership with Ricky Ponting.

He retired in 2006 during the Ashes series and has kept a low profile since.