The January transfer window is now open, with Liverpool continuing to be linked with a host of big names.

Jurgen Klopp has been forced to contend with a crippling injury crisis during the first half of the season, leading to speculation that the Premier League champions could move for a new defender this month.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up the latest news on possible comings and goings from Anfield.

Monday morning's Liverpool transfer talk news roundup:

Chelsea 'want to sign Dayot Upamecano this summer'

Chelsea are reportedly keen to bring RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano to Stamford Bridge during this summer's transfer window.

The 22-year-old was strongly linked with both Liverpool and Manchester United last year but signed a new deal with his Bundesliga club at the end of July.

The Frenchman's contract is thought to include a release clause in the region of £40m, though, and Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff recently hinted that the defender could soon be on the move.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have now joined the race for Upamecano, although Frank Lampard's side could face competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The report claims that Thiago Silva's age, in addition to the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori, means that the London club want to sign a new central defender ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

Upamecano has made 123 appearances for Leipzig since arriving from Red Bull Salzburg in 2017.

Manchester United, Liverpool 'receive Dayot Upamecano boost'

RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has opened the door for Dayot Upamecano to move on by insisting that the Bundesliga side will always listen to offers for their star players.

Upamecano is thought to be one of the most in-demand centre-backs in European football, and both Manchester United and Liverpool have been strongly linked with his services.

The France international is believed to have a release clause in his current deal, but Mintzlaff has suggested that the 22-year-old could leave for less if the money is right.

"We have a squad that is very broad in terms of quality. So we will sell top performers again if it makes financial sense and we can cope with it from a sporting point of view," Mintzlaff told Bild.

"When I think of [Timo] Werner, [Matheus] Cunha, [Naby] Keita or [Diego] Demme, we've already made a lot of money and still made progress in terms of the sporting side.

"Overall, we have invested a lot in our team, no question about that. But look: the current squad had a market value of less than €250m (£225m) when the individual players made their debut.

"And if we now take the current market value, we are at around €550m (£496m). You have to take this plus of over €300m (£270m) into account when you talk about investments. We are creating value with our path."

Upamecano has scored once in 20 appearances for Leipzig during the 2020-21 campaign.

More transfer news from Liverpool:

Liverpool 'prepared to let Sepp van den Berg leave in January'
Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg is reportedly close to leaving the Reds on loan, with clubs in Belgium, Switzerland and Germany all interested. Read more.