"The fear is they have so much ground to make up" – Journalist makes confident claim about Liverpool's transfer plans in January

Liverpool are unlikely to snap up further players in the ongoing winter transfer window, according to The Athletic journalist James Pearce.

The Reds are currently languishing in ninth spot in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 29 points from 19 games. Despite being just two matches away from quadruple glory last season, Jurgen Klopp's side are now 10 points off a UEFA Champions League berth.

To aid their injury crisis, the 19-time domestic champions signed Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in a deal worth up to £44 million earlier this month. They have also been linked with a number of midfielders from across Europe considering their ongoing midfield problems.

However, in his column for The Athletic, Pearce asserted that Liverpool will not pursue any of their top transfer targets to enhance their top four hopes. Instead, the Reds are set to focus on nursing Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino, and Arthur back to full fitness. He wrote:

"Liverpool's hopes of launching a push towards the top four rest on getting key personnel fit and firing again rather than entering the transfer market. The returns of Diogo Jota, Van Dijk, Firmino and Luis Diaz will certainly help, but the fear is they have so much ground to make up and so much improvement needed."

The Reds have been linked with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Moises Caicedo, Matheus Nunes, and Ruben Neves to reinforce their midfield.

However, the club are expected to delay signing a first-team midfielder until the upcoming summer transfer window amid rumors of a potential ownership change. Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who have been in charge of the Anfield outfit for 12 years, are believed to be open to a partial takeover of the £4 billion-rated side.

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) are in touch over an investment opportunity, as per the Daily Mail.

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Gary Neville backs Jurgen Klopp to bring Liverpool back to life under new owners

Manchester United great Gary Neville claimed that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would rejuvenate his squad in case of an ownership change. Speaking on Sky Sports' The Gary Neville Podcast, he said:

"I think he'll thrive if a foreign investment happens in the future, Jurgen Klopp, because I think that Liverpool are a club that won't put him under pressure in any form in the next 12 months or 18 months because they know what great a manager they have."

Backing Klopp to reboot the Premier League side, Neville added:

"And then with the investment you think is going to come into the club – through a sale or whatever's going to happen – you think he'd be armed with money to get new players, rebuild that midfield, get players back and then just realign them, reset them again."

Liverpool will next take on Brighton & Hove Albion away in the fourth round of the FA Cup on January 29.