Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano on why Liverpool won't sign a centre-back this month

Italian transfer expert and Sky reporter Fabrizio Romano has revealed exclusively to Anfield Watch the reasons behind Liverpool not signing a centre-back and has confirmed the Reds are unlikely to do so in the remaining days of the transfer window.

Liverpool have had rotten luck with injuries to defenders this season with both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez struck by lengthy periods on the sidelines thanks to knee problems.

Joel Matip has added to the headache with continued fitness issues as well but, with just days left in the January window, the Reds are yet to look for a new defensive recruit.

And, amid so much speculation in recent weeks, Romano has confirmed exclusively to Anfield Watch that little is now going to change with the Reds' stance in this window:

"Obviously, in this window, it's been really complicated for all the top clubs to make any moves," Romano said.

"Every top club is having problems in this window so the position for Liverpool was they would only go for important players if available this month, as has been the case in the last few years and that's why they've won trophies.

"Liverpool have said if they can't get their top targets they won't sign anybody and they'll stay with their current team, this has been the mentality for the last few years and it's been perfect because they've won everything.

"It's also so smart because they are saving money for the future to do something important in the summer, as they did with Diogo Jota last summer.

"They prefer not to sign players like Sokratis. He was offered to Liverpool but they said 'no' and that they prefer to keep with the current team, they prefer this mentality and that has been the key in recent years for Liverpool and it will continue like this.

"I don't expect anything big in the coming days because if they wanted a centre-back they've already had three weeks to sign one and they've now got Joel Matip back from injury.

"Obviously, they have problems [with the centre-back situation] but with this market and with the difficult economic situation for top clubs, spending money on centre-backs that they don't trust isn't smart for Liverpool."

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Many obviously expected the Reds to act in the transfer window this month but we're in the final days of the market now and it appears very likely nothing will be arriving at Anfield.

The Reds obviously have an established recruitment policy that, as Romano explains, has yielded great success in recent years and, naturally, there's a reluctance to waver from that.

It's perhaps a little surprising given the unique situation the Reds are in defensively but they're opting to keep their noses clean for now with a view to making a potentially big signing in the summer - let's hope that come that point later this year a strong finish domestically and in Europe has been achieved.

Watch part of our interview with Fabrizio below!