Liverpool remain second in the Premier League at the start of 2017 despite only managing a 2-2 draw at struggling Sunderland on Monday.

Jurgen Klopp’s men had beaten Manchester City 1-0 on New Year’s Eve, and would have hoped to start the New Year in similar fashion when they travelled to the Stadium of Light.

However, two Jermain Defoe penalties cancelled out goals from Daniel Sturridge and Sadio Mane to secure a much-needed point for David Moyes’ men, while also putting a slight dent into the Reds’ title hopes at the same time.

Nonetheless, Tottenham’s 2-0 win over league leaders Chelsea on Wednesday means that Klopp’s side are just five points behind Antonio Conte’s men with 18 games of the season to go.

The Reds have won 13 of their 20 matches so far this season, including victories over Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City, yet draws against Sunderland and West Ham, as well as their 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth a few weeks back, could be the undoing for Liverpool this season.

A New Year also brings the opening of the transfer window, and Klopp is likely going to want to reinforce his squad so that they can bridge the gap to Chelsea over the coming months.

Thus, here are TWO players that will make Liverpool’s season should they arrive at Anfield in January…

Jonathan Tah

Liverpool are still a bit suspect defensively, so Klopp could look to bring in another centre-back to bolster his options.

Thus, he could look to his homeland and attempt to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s highly-rated defender Jonathan Tah.

The 20-year-old German international shot to prominence for the Bundesliga side last season, making 45 appearances in all competitions to help the club to third place in the German top-flight, and the quarter-final for the DFB-Pokal, Germany’s premier cup competition.

Consequently, Tah earned his first call-up to the national team in March last year, making his debut against England, and he has continued his fine form into this season, helping the club keep five clean sheets in his 17 starts.

Unsurprisingly, his excellent form, and all round ability in the centre-half role, is attracting interest across Europe, and Liverpool are one side keeping tabs on the young defender.

Klopp bought Joel Matip from Germany in the summer and he has done well, and another Bundesliga talent could be set to join the Reds this month.

Mahmoud Dahoud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm82Jc2bvxE

Mahmoud Dahoud is another Bundesliga starlet and another hugely talented player who could be set to move to the Premier League this month.

The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder, like Tah, has had a meteoric rise in the last few years, breaking into the Monchengladbach starting eleven last season and going on to make 41 appearances in all competitions.

The German Under-21 international helped the club to a fourth place finish in last term’s Bundesliga, and he has continued his fine form this season with one goal and two assists in 14 starts.

Although he hasn’t featured as regularly this time around, Dahoud is very highly rated in Germany, and looks set to go on and have a stellar career.

Whether that will be at Anfield remains to be seen, but reports back in November suggested that the Reds had tabled a bid for the 20-year-old and, given that his contract runs out in 18 months’ time, the German side could cash in on him this month.