Who has to lose their place in the Champions League squad because of Liverpool’s top signing?
World Cup star Cody Gakpo (23, three goals in Qatar) came to Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in this transfer window for around 42 million euros. Of course, the newcomer should also participate in the premier class.
Nope im Liverpool-Training
Foto: Liverpool FC via Getty Images
But others have to give way – mainly because two Jürgen Klopp (55) players are still returning from injuries. The Liverpool newspaper “Liverpool Echo” analyzed which players could be affected.
Jürgen Klopp has been a Liverpool coach since 2015 – and he always has to make tough decisions. So also this time
Photo: Mark Cosgrove/dpa
Klopp has to trick so that all his stars can be there!
Overall, the German coach can nominate up to three players for the Champions League during the winter break. But then he would have to delete others as well. It is relatively clear who the three “new” players are: top new signing Gakpo and Naby Keïta (27) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (29), who were injured for a long time in the first half of the season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain recovered shortly before the World Cup was suspended
Foto: Getty Images
This makes it relatively unlikely that Klopp will sign any more new players in the current transfer window. If a new star comes along, he either cannot be registered for the Champions League or the ex-BVB coach has to do without one of his two previously injured players.
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Regardless, Klopp must first make room in his Champions League squad to add Gakpo, Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain. There is a relatively simple solution for Gakpo: Youngster Stefan Bajcetic (18) is deleted, but unlike in the summer he can be put on the so-called B-list.
Only players who were born in 2001 or later and have played at the club for at least two years can stand on this. The latter has been the case at Bajcetic since December. As a result, Gakpo can be nominated, but Bacjetic can still be seeded in the Champions League.
Bajcetic (front) scored his first goal for Liverpool against Aston Villa
Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP
In order to be able to use the other two stars in the Champions League, Klopp has to kick out other players. However, you can still make a tactical trick. If the Liverpool coach lets his third goalkeeper Adrian (36) out and nominates youngster Harvey Davies (19, can be on the B list), Klopp still meets the Uefa criterion that there must be at least three goalkeepers in total. Either Keïta or Oxlade-Chamberlain can be nominated for this.
Klopp would not take too much of a risk, as he could still use Adrian in the Champions League if his two seeded goalkeepers Alisson Becker (30) and Caoimhín Kelleher (24) were to fail at the same time. This is a special rule from Uefa for the goalkeeper position.
Nathaniel Philips (right), here in a duel with Erling Haaland, is one of several players who could be kicked out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad
Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP
In order to free up the last place in the squad, Klopp would then have to either right-back Calvin Ramsay (19, came from Aberdeen in the summer, only two appearances), central defender Nathaniel Phillips (25) or summer new signing Arthur Melo (only one game due to numerous injuries) from remove from list for Champions League.
