Manager believes Liverpool midfielder will be playing for his club AFTER January transfer window

It promises to be an exciting January transfer window on Merseyside with Liverpool reported to be involved in several deals.

Fans are waiting with bated breath on the outcomes of sagas involving Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

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This week brought even more reports suggesting Trent was edging closer to a move to Real Madrid, although at this stage it’s uncertain whether it will be this month or at the end of the season.

Transfer talk is hotting up in Saudi Arabia regarding not only Salah but now Van Dijk too. Al-Hilal appear to be increasingly confident of landing the Liverpool pair with the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup on their minds.

While the Saudi Pro League giants were long thought of as suitors for Salah, the news of their interest in Van Dijk left the Reds reeling.

There may also be other departures before the end of the month with Tyler Morton and Jayden Danns both tipped for loan exits. Liverpool have also welcomed back several players who returned from loan spells after the first half of the season.

While Luke Chambers came back from Wigan, it was in his case a matter of having an injury treated. Others, like Kaide Gordon and Calvin Ramsay, came back to the AXA Training Centre in order to get second loans moves for the second half of the season.

Liverpool boast recall clauses in the agreements for their out-on-loan players and have shown in the case of Gordon and Ramsay that they are not afraid to use them.

Luca Stephenson loving life at Dundee United

But one player who IS enjoying a fruitful loan spell is likely to remain away from Anfield for the rest of the season.

Midfielder Luca Stephenson joined Dundee United for the 2024/25 campaign and has impressed for Jim Goodwin’s side. The 21-year-old has been a mainstay in the Tangerines’ midfield, leading them to third place in the Scottish Premiership.

He is one of a quartet of players excelling at Tannadice on loan - the others being striker Sam Dalby, defender Emmanuel Adegboyega and goalkeeper Jack Walton.

In the case of Adegboyega, parent club Norwich have informed United that he will remain on loan for the rest of the season. And Goodwin remains secure in his belief that the other three will also stay as his side push for Europa League football.

"I’m confident of them all staying, to be honest. We’ve got agreements that these players will stay for the season, but they obviously do have break clauses half-way,” he told the Daily Record.

“That’s just how contracts are set up. But we are having constant dialogue with Liverpool, Luton and Wrexham – and the players mentioned are all loving life at Dundee United, as is Adegboyega.

“I don’t suppose any of them are looking for a change this month. So, I think we’re in a strong position to hold on to all four of those players until the end of the season.”

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