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Liverpool Back In For Van Dijk But Will Klopp Still Be There ?

The press are again starting the rumblings of how Liverpool are certain to complete the signing of Virgil Van Dijk in January, but the question is whether Jurgen Klopp will still be there to do it.

The reason leaked to the press in the summer about why Virgil Van Dijk was desperate to join Liverpool over a raft other clubs, all seemingly in a better position than the Anfield club to provide him with a shot at winning trophies, was not about money but was that the player himself was desperate to play under Jurgen Klopp.

Now the rumour mill is up and running again with a full two months to go before the transfer window is open and it seems the same old faces, mainly Liverpool connected are saying the same old things about Van Dijk going to Liverpool being a certainty in January.

But it may not be as clear cut as they would have you believe, especially since the man who Van Dijk apparently so much admires might not be at Anfield himself come January but might be joining Ronald Koeman in the Liverpool Dole Office.

Certainly Liverpool have had a tumultuous summer transfer window, with Van Dijk desperate to go to Anfield and Philippe Couthinho just as desperate to leave, the end result was that nothing changed at Anfield and that is part of the problem for Klopp, tactically he is now seen as naive.

His record when compared to previous Liverpool managers from their first games at the club is worse than most and if that is not a concern their is worry not just amongst the Kop faithful but in the boardroom that his transfer strategy is flawed.

Put a 10 year old in the Anfield boardroom and he would tell them that Liverpool need at least two central defenders and a goalkeeper, yet Klopp failed to sort that problem out in the summer, throwing all his eggs in one basket with Van Dijk and not having a plan B when that failed, many crtics are saying that given the problems in that area that Klopp should have been looking for a signing to play alongside Van Dijk anyway so to fail to land even one central defender was pure folly.

But Van Dijk aside Klopp chased strikers again, Salah, Solanke and Oxlade Chamberlain arrived to join, Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana, Lallana & Sturridge, not to mention Danny Ings.

This gives Liverpool awesome firepower, 9 proven Premier League strikers are available to Klopp, but as was shown at Spurs on Sunday or at Man City and Watford, that is no use if goals are being leaked at the other end.

Klopp is now under scrutiny as to why he hasn't addressed the real problems at Liverpool but naively gone for a solution that involves scoring more than is conceded.

This being the case Klopp's position is starting to look dodgy at Anfield, the odds on him being the next Premier manager to go are slowly creeping down and there is a feeling that if results don't improve he could be gone before January.

Indeed a crunch game could be Saints visit to Anfield in November should we in that one then the Liverpool support could turn on him having seen Van Dijk in action.

So undoubtably Liverpool will resume make a move in January, but a lot could have changed snce the summer, not least Van Dijk's attitude towards moving there himself, certainly his mood towards Saints sems to be softening, on Friday he posted a message on his twitter feed saying "Ready for the weekend" alongside pictures of him in a Saints kit and the icons of a football, a tick mark and a fire system, suggesting that he is now committed to the club at least in the short term.

If Liverpool continue to missfire then there is the worry for them that Van Dijk might feel his future lies elsewhere that he has dodged a bullet in not being allowed to join them in the summer and that now there are other fish in the sea. If Liverpool fail to make the Champions League next season then the chances of Van Dijk wanting to go to Anfield will greatly diminish.

Certainly if Jurgen Klopp does leave his position at some stage this season, the main reason for his demise will be the situation surrounding Virgil Van Dijk.

Meanwhile hopefully Saints can get the best out of the Dutchman, hopefully till next summer when although he will undoubtably leave, we will have his replacement lined up from the proceeds.

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