Liverpool have yet to dip into the market to bolster their first-team squad with a new signing in the January transfer window, which is due to close next week.

The Reds have less than a week left to complete any business, in or out, before their squad is set for the second half of the season, and it is not hard to see why they have not been too busy so far,

Arne Slot’s side are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, having beaten Ipswich Town 4-1 on Saturday, and have already qualified for the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

The Dutch head coach has worked wonders at Anfield with the players he already had at his disposal, as this window comes off the back of Federico Chiesa coming in as the only senior arrival in the summer.

Slot has proven that he can get the best out of the players he has and has not needed to splash £100m or more on new recruits to compete for the best and biggest trophies.

The Liverpool boss could, however, dip into the market to sign a young player with the potential to develop and improve over the years to come, rather than being an immediate upgrade on the current XI.

Liverpool keen on Eredivisie ace

According to Foot Mercato, the Premier League leaders are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Feyenoord forward Anis Hadj Moussa to bolster their attacking options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claims that there is strong interest from Lille, who have lost key players to injury, and that they would like to get a deal done before the end of the January transfer window.

It states that Liverpool also have ‘strong interest’ while Chelsea are another party lining up a move to sign the player, who played under Slot at Feyenoord last season, whether that is this month or in the summer.

Foot Mercato adds that the Eredivisie outfit do not want to cash in on the 22-year-old attacker before next week’s deadline and would prefer to keep hold of him until the summer, at least, which means that a deal could be more likely to happen at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Earlier this month, Africa Foot reported on Liverpool’s interest in the Algeria international and claimed that the Reds were planning to swoop for the forward in the summer for a fee in the region of €12m (£10m). However, this latest report from Foot Mercato does not outline how much Feyenoord want for the young whiz.

Whether it happens now or in the summer, Slot could bring Hadj Moussa to Anfield with the idea that he will be Mo Salah’s understudy at first.

Why Mo Salah would be a dream to learn from

As a left-footed right winger, as Hadj Moussa is, there may not be a better player to be an understudy to in world football than the Egypt international.

Salah turns 33 this year and has produced 23 goals and 17 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the Reds this season, which speaks to the forward’s incredible conditioning and hard work off the pitch to ensure that he is able to compete at his best week-in-week-out in his 30s.

The 32-year-old star has racked up 234 goals and 105 assists in 381 matches, which also speaks to the incredible consistency that he has maintained throughout his many years at Liverpool.

He is, as evidenced by his statistics, one of the best wingers in world football and would, therefore, be a dream for Hadj Moussa to learn from on and off the pitch.

Of course, Salah is out of contract in the summer and claimed at the start of this month that there has not been any progress on that front, which means that the idea of the Feyenoord youngster learning from him may rest on whether or not the club can agree fresh terms with the superstar forward – or if they can sign the Algerian gem this month.

Why Liverpool should sign Hadj Moussa

The Reds should look to finalise a deal for the Eredivisie whiz, now or in the summer, because he appears to be a promising young talent with the potential to grow and improve.

As a left-footed winger who predominantly plays on the left flank, Hadj Moussa is similar to Salah in style but has not matched the unbelievable levels of production that the Liverpool ace has maintained for many years.

The 22-year-old ace, who Dutch legend Ruud Gullit described as an “unpredictable player”, has showcased his quality in the Champions League this season, though, scoring a Salah-esque goal in the clip above.

Hadj Moussa has scored three goals and created one ‘big chance’ for his teammates in six appearances and three starts in the Champions League this term, which shows that he does have the ability to impact matches at the highest level.

The next stage for the Algerian dynamo, however, is to find consistency in his performances to establish himself as a regular starter, as he has also been a substitute on a number of occasions in the Eredivisie.

Appearances

15 (7)

Goals

3

Big chances created

3

xA

4.08

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

1.4

As you can see in the table above, the £10m-rated forward has provided plenty of quality in his limited minutes on the pitch, with three goals and four ‘Expected Assists’ in just seven league starts for the Dutch side.

However, his manager has not deemed him consistent enough to start week-in-week-out and that is why he could be the perfect signing for Liverpool to come in and sit behind Salah as his understudy, learning from the forward with a view to potentially replacing him in the future.

That is why getting a deal done for him this month could be important as he may not get the chance to learn from Salah, and adapt to English football, if the winger does not sign an extension beyond the summer.

Best January move since Van Dijk: Liverpool plot bid for amazing defender

Liverpool could sign a “magnificent talent” who would be their best January signing since Van Dijk

ByConnor Holden