Manager breaks Mo Salah silence after Trent Alexander-Arnold twist

The January transfer window is now over halfway through and there is still plenty to be settled for Liverpool.

The Reds started the month with question marks over the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and they all still remain. Fresh links with Saudi Arabia for Salah and the Real Madrid saga for Alexander-Arnold are ongoing, ever-developing stories that seemingly won’t go away.

Things continue to go well on the pitch, where Arne Slot ’s side lead the Premier League and Champions League and remain in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but there have been a few bumps in the road of late. Some reinforcements in the mid-season window wouldn’t go amiss at Anfield.

With that in mind, here are the latest transfer stories surrounding the club from Mirror Football.

Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus has been extremely open on the club’s interest in Salah – and the status of Neymar. The Saudi Arabian club haven’t got the best out of Neymar since signing him in August 2023 and, with his contract drawing to a close at the end of the season, they are eyeing a big-name replacement.

Neymar could move to the MLS and Jesus has given a brutally honest assessment of his level. “I don't know anything about Neymar's future," he said. “I can't comment on things I don't know. The Saudi Pro League is one of the best leagues in the world. Neymar can no longer play at the level we are used to.”

Jesus was then asked about possible replacements, amid rumours that they are lining up a two-year deal worth £65million for Salah. “Salah or other big names won’t come this winter,” Jesus said. “But maybe this summer.”

The Spanish press have been confidently predicting a move to Real Madrid for Alexander-Arnold of late, with Marca saying he has verbally agreed to a summer move. The view from England is that, while those reports are not yet the case, the longer things are allowed to drift on Merseyside, the more likely it is that the full-back will join Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital.

As we know, Alexander-Arnold can leave as a free agent in the summer, unless he extends his Liverpool contract and talkSPORT says that there is a growing confidence in Madrid that they will get their man. That understanding isn’t lost on Anfield chiefs either, who are hurrying to try and get things done.

It’s not just about trying to keep hold of their star players for Liverpool, who are also keeping an eye out for possible deals of their own. Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller is one of the names on their radar, according to TEAMtalk, who say that he is one of the defensive midfielders being considered for the summer window.

The 23-year-old midfielder is currently only under contract with Stuttgart until June 2027, so the club are keen to extend it. However, if they can’t manage that then they will consider a summer sale, when Stiller can still command a good price.

That price is €40m (£33.8m) for the three-cap Germany international. The interest comes after Liverpool failed to land Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in the summer. The Spain star is now thought to be joining Arsenal in the summer instead.