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Liverpool were recently linked with a shock January move for Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross, but the German has effectively poured cold water on the rumours as he told The Argus that he was happy at Brighton.
What did he say?
“I have got nothing to say about it (the link to Liverpool). I am really enjoying and I’m really happy to play in the Premier League with Brighton.
“I hope we can continue as we have done. At the moment that is everything I care about, the game on Saturday and that’s it.”
What did he really mean?
Gross’ insistence on not commenting on the rumour would suggest that it is not something that he is considering and there may not even be a formal offer yet from the Merseyside club.
It is no surprise that the 27-year-old is happy at Brighton either. After his bargain £3m move from German side Ingolstadt in the summer of 2017, his first season in the Premier League brought seven goals and eight assists from midfield as the Seagulls finished 15th in the table.
Gross is one of the star players at the South Coast club, and crucially he is playing and starting regularly, something which is unlikely to happen at Liverpool given the quality that the Reds now possess in central midfield.
Waste of time
It would seem then that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is wasting his time in targeting his fellow countryman. It is unlikely that Gross will ask to leave Brighton, even if the Premier League leaders come calling.
Klopp then should focus on other areas of his squad that perhaps need addressing more urgently in January. For example, Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren are currently the only fit centre-backs in the first-team squad at Anfield, so a new defender should be a priority to at least provide adequate cover.