Rumour Mongering: Reds Make Demirbay Their One January Target

The rumour mongers say a Kerem Demirbay deal could happen. It won’t. At least not in January.

Liverpool have let it be known that there are no plans to do anything of note on incoming or outgoing fronts this coming January, with the club having told the usual suspect connected journalists to tell the fans not to get their hopes up.

That won’t stop the rumour mongers, though. Nothing ever really does. And so today, The Express—citing vague chatter out of Germany and a history of Liverpool being linked—say the Reds will do a January deal by signing Kerem Demirbay.

Demirbay, a 25-year-old midfielder who has represented Germany at the senior level, has been linked with Liverpool off and on for more than a year now, and so his name should at least feel vaguely familiar to most Liverpool fans.

He’s been a consistent, solid performer over the years at Hoffenheim, a jack of all trades sort who could fill a similar role at Anfield as players like James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum with his hard work, smart play, and the odd assist.

Whether that’s the sort of player Liverpool really need—especially as a mid-season reinforcement—is another matter. In fact, it’s probably safe to say that if this squad has a weak point in it, that isn’t it. Liverpool don’t need another Milner.

At least not in January. Demirbay is a solid, smart, hard-working player and if the constant linkages to Liverpool reflect a genuine interest, it’s not impossible to imagine him ending up at the club at some point over the next year and a half.

In January, though, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense. In January, it would almost feel like the club making a move simply for the sake of making a move, and that’s not something Jürgen Klopp has ever seemed inclined to do.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com