Rodgers not banking on mid-season transfers

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers fears his team’s problems won’t be fixed during the January transfer window.

Rodgers has found it difficult to revitalize Liverpool since arriving from Swansea in the close-season and last week’s dismal 3-1 home defeat against Aston Villa left the Reds languishing in 12th place in the Premier League.

With the transfer window due to open on New Year’s Day, Rodgers has inevitably been linked with a host of potential signings touted as saviors of a club mired in mediocrity.

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, Arsenal winger Theo Walcott and Blackpool forward Thomas Ince, who was sold by Liverpool just two years ago, are the most prominent names on Rodgers’ reported wish list.
But, while Rodgers intends to sign players in January, he doesn’t expect a quick-fix to the club’s ailments because deals in the forthcoming transfer window can be especially expensive.

“There is a bigger picture for sure and it goes back to affordability,” Rodgers told the Independent yesterday. We will spend money in January to try and bring fresh faces into the group and give us that support at the top end. But it will come down to two things. The availability and affordability of players.

“I see lots of names bandied about that are pie in the sky. There won’t be too many top players moving about in January because clubs want top money.

“All our problems were never going to be solved in this window because the January window is one of the least productive and the least movement goes on there. But we will look to solve some of our problems then.”