Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hinted to the media during a press conference that he will not sign a new defender before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

What's the word?

The Reds have been praised for their attacking strengths, but their defensive weaknesses have continued to be a problem.

Klopp's men are the most prolific in the Premier League having scored 51 goals, but at the other end of the pitch they have conceded 28 and have kept just four clean sheets.

The leaky defence contributed to Saturday's 3-2 loss to Swansea City at Anfield, which has pushed them 10 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea.

Despite the problems at the back, Klopp has claimed that buying a defender will not solve the team's issues.

Goal.com quotes the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach as saying:

"You always speak about defence, or players. I speak about the whole defence of the team. If it was to buy one player and fix it, I'd be silly not to do it but it's not that simple.

"I knew about the problems we had after Christmas and that was disappointing. I saw before the game [against Swansea] that we are back on the right track and we could see the freshness coming back in training. But then we have this game and it's not so nice. But that's part of life too."

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Is Klopp wrong, do Liverpool need to buy?

A big problem with the Reds' defence is that there is not one player who has provided consistency.

Dejan Lovren was impressive in the recent 1-1 draw with Manchester United, but he struggled alongside Ragnar Klavan against Swansea at the weekend.

Joel Matip has looked solid at the back, but injuries have halted his progress on Merseyside, and it does not help that both of Liverpool's goalkeepers have had shaky performances.

When the keeper is prone to errors, a nervous energy creeps through the team, which can affect the defenders' focus, particularly if the man behind them is not commanding the area.

While working as a pundit on BT Sport, ex-Red Steven Gerrard urged Klopp to splash out on Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.

The centre-back has consistently been reliable at the back, but even if Liverpool tried to make a move, the former Celtic star would not be able to go straight into the side due to an ankle injury, and Southampton are unlikely to sell given how much business has gone on between the two clubs in the last few seasons.

It is difficult to purchase top-quality players in this window, but Klopp has limited options at the back, particularly when taking into account that midfielder Lucas Leiva sometimes fills in at centre-back.

It would be wise for Liverpool to jump into the market if they want to keep their title hopes alive.

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