14 January 2024 , 05:00
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Liverpool spent big over the summer and have been rewarded with a squad in top spot as we enter the second half of the Premier League season, but staying top is another matter.
The Reds padded out their midfield, bringing in Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch. They also lost some experienced midfielders, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho moving to Saudi Arabia, but the new signings have clicked quickly to leave Jurgen Klopp's team top.
January has been about trimming the fat and giving experience to squad players so far. Fabio Carvalho and Luke Chambers are among the fringe players to be sent out on loan, with no new arrivals at the time of writing.
With a fortnight of the window remaining, though, there could yet be further additions. Here are Mirror Football's latest lines from around Anfield.
Saudi exit route on offer to Henderson
Ajax has begun to look like the most likely destination for Jordan Henderson if he leaves Al-Ettifaq. The former Liverpool captain hasn't enjoyed the best of times in the Saudi Pro League, prompting suggestions he could leave just months into his three-year deal.
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Juventus have also been linked with the England international, who continued to feature for his country after moving to the Middle East. However, Ajax are thought to be confident of winning the race.
The Amsterdam side are after experience as their young squad endures a tough season. A seven-game unbeaten run has lifted them to fifth in the Eredivisie, but they finished bottom of their Europa League group and were knocked out of their domestic cup by part-timers Hercules.
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Talks over wonderkid Mantilla
Andres Fassi, president of Argentinean side CA Talleres, confirmed Liverpool and Brighton have been in contact over defensive prospect Kevin Mantilla. The 20-year-old, a member of the Colombia side which reached the quarter-finals of the Under-20 World Cup in 2023, only joined his current club over the summer.
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Colombian starlet Kevin Mantilla is on Liverpool's radar (Tim Nwachukwu - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)“It’s true, they have been following him for four months now," Fassi said, as reported by La Voz (via Sport Witness ). "And they asked us for information about his physical records.”
The defender, who has yet to win his first senior cap for Colombia, came through the ranks at Independiente Santa Fe in his homeland. After moving to Argentina, he helped his team qualify for the 2024 edition of continental championship the Copa Libertadores.
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Leipzig chief fires parting shot to Carvalho
RB Leipzig sporting director Rouven Schroder has hit out at former Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho, suggesting the youngster wasn't up to the challenge in the Bundesliga. Carvalho's season-long switch was cut short, and he will finish the season with Championship side Hull City.
"We made a conscious decision to go with Fabio last summer," Schroder told RB Live (via The Sun). "He had a great season with Fulham in the English second division, which is very physical.
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"We had said to ourselves: great talent, good age, has already gained his experience. Nevertheless, you don't get to know a player as an end product until he's there.
"Fabio has a great character. But he realized: 'Okay, there's a competitor here, I need to do more!'. And we noticed that he didn't want to face the competition."