The Liverpool transfer problem their Premier League title rivals wish they had | OneFootball

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would have been a nice luxury to have, but in the cold light of day, Arne Slot would have struggled to even fit the Paris Saint-Germain-bound Georgian wizard into his multi-faceted lineup in the coming months.

After Diogo Jota having stepped off the bench to earn Liverpool a vital 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, where defeat could have left the gap at the top a nerve-jangling four points, Slot flexed his squad muscles once more.

The new Liverpool boss’ in-game management has, so far, belied his inexperience on our shores. In 16 of 31 matches, the Reds have not held the lead at the interval and still stand on the precipice of a second Premier League title, at a canter. It helps when he can turn to game-changers of Jota's ilk in reserve.

Yet, the transfer rumours continue to circulate. But if Jota, when fit, cannot get a start, signing another forward would only give Slot a headache he does not need to create for himself.

Nobody else has the options the Dutchman has at his disposal, ones the new Liverpool boss again proved so expertly adept at utilising when he needs to on Tuesday night. So why rock the boat and empty the coffers in a tightly-constricted Profit and Sustainability world when you don’t need to?

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Diogo Jota’s specialist role could see the Reds hold fire in the January transfer market (Action Images via Reuters)

January additions – always risky business – are simply not needed. Slot’s options should be more than enough to earn Liverpool at least one top prize in his debut season.

"I think you saw today again, that I can still strengthen the team or impact the game with the substitutions I have from the bench," Slot said when asked whether Liverpool will have a busy January transfer window after the draw at Forest that keeps his side six clear at the top of the table.

"And it was not for the first time this season that these players have helped us. If you looked at today, I could not have asked for more. I said to them at half time, don't get frustrated.

"I knew we would get chances, with the options we had. We created chance after chance late on and could have won."

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Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot has not spent lavishly since taking over at Anfield (AP)

Injuries have again derailed Jota’s season, but that doesn’t mean the clinical Portuguese cannot still have a big say in where league titles end up.

Scoring 22 seconds after coming off the bench at the City Ground – Liverpool’s fastest goal from a substitute on record – heading home off a corner from fellow replacement Kostas Tsimikas – was one of three shots on target he managed in his half-hour cameo. More than any other team-mate managed all match.

On a rare night that Mohamed Salah’s magic wand of a left foot fires blanks, Cody Gakpo’s Arjen Robben-esque cuts inside are nullified or Luis Diaz, in his newfound central strike role, is crowded out, there is always someone else to step in.

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Darwin Nunez could be (AP)

And we have not even seen the best of Federico Chiesa yet in a Liverpool shirt. His reduced transfer fee tells you the winger, Italy’s most effective player over the past few years, has seen his stock fall drastically, mainly due to injuries.

It was not so long ago, however, that he guided his nation to glory in the European Championships, as the focal point of Roberto Mancini’s attacking unit. And the £70m Darwin Nunez cannot be discredited yet, either.

Jurgen Klopp has to take a great deal of credit for getting Slot and Liverpool to this point. It is one of the few criticisms you can level at Sir Alex Ferguson, and the only blemish on his legacy. The calibre of squad Ferguson left for his successor David Moyes is chalk and cheese compared to the group Klopp assembled before his emotional long goodbye.

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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was linked with Liverpool before PSG stepped up their interest (AP)

Slot has always acknowledged his good fortune in inheriting such a unit. And it is why, with his team riding high, he can discourage any further arrivals that could disrupt the seemingly unstoppable momentum Liverpool have been building.