Liverpool transfer news: Jurgen Klopp plays down prospect of making defensive signings in January

Liverpool's improvement defensively has convinced Jurgen Klopp not to make any signings in order to strengthen the back-four in the January transfer window as the German manager stressed that bringing in a new player is not the solution to strengthen the Reds' defence.

The Merseyside club have conceded 20 goals in the league after 18 matches, out of which nine of them came in their defeat against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season. So far, the Anfield club have kept eight clean sheets in the Premier League.

Southampton star Virgil van Dijk had been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool during the summer. However, the Saints were unhappy with the Reds' illegal approach to sign the Dutch international and reported Klopp's side to the Premier League.

Liverpool were then forced to issue a public apology for any "misunderstanding". Despite this, Van Dijk was keen to join the former Borussia Dortmund manager at Anfield and even handed in a transfer request at Southampton in the summer.

Van Dijk is still linked with a move to the Reds, but Klopp suggested that his side are unlikely to bring in a new player to strengthen their defence in January.

"It was something you all were talking about from the first day because we didn't sign a centre-half in the summer. I had to learn that defensive problems can be because you don't sign a player! Yes, we knew we could do better, but it was never an individual problem," Klopp explained, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

"All what we are doing has influence on what I think. But what does that mean – because we did so well defensively, you don't want us to sign a defensive player? They [speculation] will never stop [saying] that, until we do it, probably!

"When we win a game and defend well, I am happy. When we do not defend well as a team, I am not happy about it.

"But I don't think then the solution is to buy another player. I am still a supporter because I love the game, but I am not a supporter in this kind of way. I cannot change my mind like (clicks fingers), we need him, not him.

"People stick to their opinion, but whatever we do, we concede the first goal and [it changes].

"For example, Alberto Moreno did fantastic this season and then he played at Sevilla and he played not well. And people didn't hesitate to say, 'That's why we need a new left back!" and I think, 'Wow, if people said the same about you after a bad game, that would be really funny!'

"Thank God we here make the decisions, and nobody else. We have a view on everything, but it needs to fit together. You need solutions for different situations. So far it is OK. It could have been better as we know, but it could have been much worse!"