Jurgen Klopp insists that Liverpool will be prepared to pounce in the January transfer window if the right opportunity presents itself - conceding that he would like to see further investment in his squad.
On Thursday evening, as the Reds made their return to competitive action with a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, the Liverpool boss revealed that Roberto Firmino had become the latest member of his squad to be struck down by injury, with the Brazilian joining long-term forward absentees Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
It means that in attack the Reds have been left with just Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah as recognised senior forwards, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fabio Carvalho now expected to be deputies in the absence of Jota and Diaz.
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Such limited options in the forward department has subsequently raised the question as to whether the Reds will need to add to their remit in the coming weeks, with Jota and Diaz not expected to return to action until February at the earliest, in which time Liverpool will have played a further seven games.
Meanwhile, the Reds continue to be linked with a midfielder, with Klopp once again directly asked about Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.
Speaking ahead of Monday's trip to Aston Villa, the Liverpool manager admitted his side will be looking to sanction deals in the coming weeks if, despite the uncertainty around the club's current ownership, there is an appropriate opening.
"January, in our situation, is a window where we always say at this moment [that] from the sports side we are always prepared, that's how it is," he said. "It is always clear what kind of ideas we have or how the necessity is from our point of view but all the rest doesn't lie 100 per cent in our hands.
"We always work with what we've got, so that will not change. You can imagine the situation we are in, yeah, we are probably looking. If something happens? We will see."
While the long-term ownership of the club remains unknown, after Fenway Sports Group last month welcomed the prospect of a full sale of the Anfield club, the Reds boss revealed that he is convinced about the future, even if he would like to see investment in his side.
"I don't know about the amount of money and stuff like this and what you need exactly," said Klopp when asked how much money it would take Liverpool to compete with Manchester City once again. "I'm not against investment, to be honest, that's clear.
"We will see what the future brings. Nobody knows that at the moment, but I'm convinced it will be good. The future is bright for us, but at the moment we have to sort the situation so nothing to do with future investment/investments so that's what we're working on."
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