The January transfer window opens Thursday, triggering a month-long scramble to make any final personnel moves that will cover the rest of the Premier League season. For clubs vying for a top spot, it’s a chance to reinforce in the push for a trophy — or multiple. For teams looking to escape relegation, it’s an opportunity to bring in reinforcements to finish the job.

But it’s not just about the movement of players between clubs. Now is the time for clubs to worry about stars approaching the end of their contracts — whether hitting free agency in the summer of 2026 or 2027 — and extend them on new terms before they are persuaded to join elsewhere.

As such, it’s time for another edition of “Keep, Dump or Extend” — and this time we’re looking at Liverpool. Mark Ogden and Gab Marcotti are playing the role of sporting director to look at the questions facing Liverpool all fronts, from acquisitions and exits to contract renewals. Let’s get started!

Liverpool: Keep, Dump or Extend?

• League position, as of Dec. 30: Fourth, 32 points. (Last year’s finish: 1st, 84 points)
• Realistic goal: Champions League qualification through Premier League — or by winning the Champions League or FA Cup

1. Salah is now away at AFCON and his future remains unresolved: How do you deal with your star player?

Ogden: Two weeks ago, in the immediate aftermath of Mohamed Salah‘s contentious comments about his playing time, I would have said that Liverpool should be prepared to let him go in January if they receive a ridiculous offer from Saudi Arabia.

But the subsequent injury to Alexander Isak — who faces two-to-three months out with a broken leg — changes everything. Because of the Isak injury, Liverpool can’t afford to willingly part with their most consistent goalscorer, regardless of his feelings towards manager Arne Slot.

Isak could be back and scoring goals in early March, but that’s the best-case scenario, so the knock-on effect with Salah is that his future must now be put on hold until the summer.

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Arne Slot: Myself and Mohamed Salah have moved on from Leeds interview

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed that himself and Mohamed Salah have moved forward from the Egyptian’s explosive interview earlier this month.

Marcotti: The man has a contract: if he wants to stay, he stays. That’s the reality, even if these supposed massive offers from Saudi Arabia materialise.

We know Salah is not going to move for money — if he was, he would have gone in the summer as a free agent. The only thing that would make Salah leave is the realisation that he can no longer get in the starting XI regularly. He’s not there yet and with Isak out, he may never get there.

I’d like to see Slot come up with a system that masks Salah’s weaknesses and exploits his strengths. (The version of a 4-4-2 we saw at Inter Milan could be a solution.) Slot has fiddled with so many systems he may as well try that upon Salah’s return.

2. Isak is injured: Replace him from within or sign another forward?

Ogden: Liverpool will hardly miss Isak’s goals when he is sidelined because the £125m summer signing has scored just two in the Premier League since arriving from Newcastle. But if his strike at Spurs was the catalyst for a run of form, then Isak’s absence will be a big blow.

Either way, while it is a major setback for Liverpool, it would be foolish to rush into the market for a replacement in January. Salah will be back by mid-January at the latest and Slot can already count on Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and teenager Rio Ngumoha as attacking options. Add in the goals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Liverpool have plenty of cover for Isak.

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Will Liverpool need to sign a replacement for Isak in January?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens talk about Alexander Isak’s injury against Tottenham and debate whether Liverpool will need to bring in a replacement striker.

Marcotti: Assuming nobody else gets injured, you don’t sign another forward. You don’t need another guy to replace someone who was contributing very little and couldn’t get reliably prove he deserved to start.

Let Ekitike play center forward and when he’s out, you have Cody Gakpo. Or go with a front two and get Florian Wirtz, Federico Chiesa and Salah (when he’s back) into the mix.

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3. Bring in more reinforcements at other positions, or stand pat with this Liverpool squad?

Ogden: They need to sign a centre-half.

Even if Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté continue to avoid injury, they need reliable cover or even replacements. Joe Gomez can’t be relied upon to stay fit and summer signing Giovanni Leoni, who is still just 19, is out until next season with an ACL injury.

Liverpool made a mess of their attempt to sign Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace and they may have blown their best chance of signing the England defender. But, with his contract due to expire in June and Palace vulnerable to a good offer, it would make sense to try again in early January.

Marcotti: Whether it’s Guehi or somebody else, they need another option — and it needs to be starting calibre.

I can understand not wanting to spend big in January because you rarely get value in that situation, but then they should at least seek a loan move for someone they like who is presentable in the role.

4. Elliott’s loan at Aston Villa has been a disaster: Should Liverpool try to recall him?

Ogden: Absolutely. Harvey Elliott was the star of the tournament when England won the U-21 Euros last summer, but Unai Emery has given the 22-year-old just 97 minutes of action in the Premier League during his loan at Aston Villa.

Elliott has not appeared in any competition since a four-minute substitute outing in the Europa League win at Feyenoord on Oct. 2. But due to FIFA rules, Elliott can’t play for another club after representing Liverpool and Villa this season, so Liverpool should negotiate a deal to take him back to Anfield.

Marcotti: This is a no-brainer. Bring him home. He’s versatile and hard-working, and he can do a job for you in midfield and on the wing. He didn’t play much last season (though he still appeared in 28 games), but Liverpool are in a different situation this year.

It also makes sense because with a year left on his contract, you’ll want to know if he’s worth an extension.

5. Robertson and Konate are both out of contract in the summer: Renew, or allow them to leave for free?

Ogden: I would offer Andy Robertson a new one-year contract as quickly as possible. It doesn’t matter that he will be 32 in March — Robertson’s experience and reliability have been crucial, and underused, qualities this season. He definitely has a role to play while Milos Kerkez tries to adjust to life at Anfield.

I think Ibrahima Konaté is a different matter. At 26, he is in the peak years of his career so should have been secured to a new contract at least a year ago, but his performances in 2025 have not warranted an extension and it seems mind are made up about him at Anfield.

Marcotti: I don’t think Robertson is keen to leave, so I imagine he’d take a one- or even two-year extension given he’s 31, provided he accepts the fact that he’s now a squad player.

This feels like a re-run of last year with the three free agents-to-be (Salah, Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold). The difference is that while Salah and Van Dijk accepted two-year extensions because they were older, Konate’s age means he won’t do that — nor should he.

I don’t think Liverpool ought to give up on Konate just yet, but they have to be disciplined on what they’re willing to spend, just as they were with Trent Alexander-Arnold. I’d also rely on Slot and the analytics nerds at the club to offer a convincing explanation of just why he’s been so much worse and whether it can be fixed.

6. Liverpool have a batch of 2027 expiring contracts: Alisson, Van Dijk, Wataru Endo, Salah, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Stefan Bajcetic. Who should be extended now?

Ogden: I’d try to nail down Alisson Becker and Curtis Jones to long-term extensions, but the jury is out on the rest of them.

Van Dijk and Salah are obviously club legends, but both have shown signs of slowing down this season after signing two-years deals in 2025. Let’s see how they finish 2026 — if they’re still at Anfield in 12 months’ time.

Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic and Joe Gomez all have different situations, but none of them should expect a new deal anytime soon.

Marcotti: I’m not sure Alisson is as automatic a choice as he was. He’s been hurt in each of the last three seasons. And with a goalkeeper of his age, 33, you can bide your time a little.

Extending Jones is a no-brainer — at the right price — and it also gives you leverage over Alexis Mac Allister, whose deal is up in 2028.

I agree there’s no rush on the others, though once Bajcetic is fit I’d like to see him gets minutes. He was a very promising player prior to this injuries.

7. Slot’s contract expires in June 2027: Reward him with a new deal, or wait until this turbulent season is over?

Ogden: It feels as though Slot has weathered the early season storm and returned to some kind of normality, but let’s see how the season plays out. Liverpool could end the season as Champions League winners, but equally, they could miss out on the top four and end up with no trophies.

It sounds wild, but despite winning the Premier League last season, Slot still needs to prove he has earned a contract extension.

Marcotti: Conventional wisdom has it that you don’t want coaches to go into a season with just one year left on their deals because it undermines their authority. I think Liverpool have already shown, with the Salah, Van Dijk, Trent sagas of last year that this isn’t necessarily the case.

If you’re a well-run club with a strong presence from the sporting director and CEO of football, a good coach like Slot shouldn’t need the safety blanket of more years on his contract. Slot is a grown-up. He knows he hasn’t performed this season and I don’t think he’ll flip out if you don’t give him deal.

On the other hand, if he finds the right balance and turns it around, by all means, reward him in the spring.

Four marquee showdowns will be headlining the College Football Playoff quarterfinals staged at four of the sport’s most iconic bowl games with semifinal spots on the line. Four teams that earned first-round byes will make their CFP debuts, each hoping to reverse a trend that emerged last season.

All four teams that received byes in the inaugural 12-team playoff lost in the quarterfinals, fueling the notion that rest may be overrated in college football’s still-new postseason format. That dynamic could shift this year after a tweak to the seeding formula awarded byes to the four highest-ranked teams rather than the four highest-ranked conference champions.

Wednesday night opens the quarterfinals with No. 2 Ohio State facing No. 10 Miami in the Cotton Bowl, as the reigning national champion Buckeyes begin their CFP run as 9.5-point favorites. Thursday brings a tripleheader, starting with No. 4 Texas Tech against No. 5 Oregon in the Orange Bowl. Among the four teams with byes, the Red Raiders are the lone underdog, with Oregon entering as a slight favorite.

The Rose Bowl will feature No. 1 Indiana against No. 9 Alabama, as the Hoosiers look to remain college football’s lone unbeaten team. The quarterfinals conclude in the Sugar Bowl, where No. 3 Georgia meets No. 6 Ole Miss in a rematch of the Bulldogs’ 43-35 regular-season win over the Rebels.

Here are the CBS Sports expert picks for those matchups.

Oregon vs. Texas Tech 

Thursday at noon on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): This game sets up to be a chess match throughout the afternoon, with both Oregon and Texas Tech looking to set up and eventually execute explosive plays against elite defenses. It’s a chess match that will be fascinating to watch play out and likely set up a close game deep into the second half. It’s just at some point we’re going to need a quarterback to make a game-saving or game-winning play and right now I’d rather side with Dante Moore in that discussion. He’s made some huge throws late in games this season and I like his odds more to be able and do so again.  Pick: Oregon -2.5 — Chip Patterson

Alabama vs. Indiana

Thursday at 4 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): The total for this one feels a little low. I’m not expecting a shootout, but I do believe both offenses are capable of moving the ball against these opposing defenses. Oklahoma probably should’ve scored more than it did against Alabama in the first round, and while Indiana’s defense has been exceptional, it has been prone to allowing explosive passes this season, which is an area Alabama thrives. Won’t be a shootout, but it won’t be a rock fight, either. Pick: Over 48.5 — Tom Fornelli

Georgia vs. Ole Miss 

Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): Since giving up 35 points against Ole Miss in a 43-35 home victory over the Rebels on Oct. 18, Georgia has grown into one of college football’s premier defensive outfits. The Bulldogs’ last four opponents have averaged a paltry 7.25 points per game as coordinator Glenn Schumann’s unit has developed the teeth needed to make UGA a legitimate national championship contender. It’s hard to imagine Ole Miss playing as perfectly offensively as it did through the first three quarters of the first meeting. Look for Georgia’s defense to come up with enough key stops to help Georgia pull away and reach the semifinals. Pick: Georgia -6.5 — David Cobb

Ohio State vs. Miami 

Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): The Hurricanes have talent all over the field and may even hold a slight advantage in the trenches, but Ohio State is simply stacked. The firepower of the Buckeyes offense has barely been put on full display yet as Ohio State cruised through most of its 2025 schedule. While Miami could cause some complications with its pass rush, the Buckeyes will make enough plays to put this game away. Pick: Ohio State -9.5 — Shehan Jeyarajah

Who will win and cover in each college football bowl and playoff game? SportsLine’s computer model just simulated each matchup 10,000 times and has revealed its picks. Visit SportsLine now to see all its college football picks.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Arch Manning made big plays with his arm and his legs Wednesday in the Citrus Bowl, throwing two touchdown passes and putting it away with a 60-yard scoring run in a 41-27 victory that ended a rough month for No. 14 Michigan.

Manning was an easy choice as the Citrus Bowl MVP, and that was before he burst up the middle on his 60-yarder that gave the Longhorns (10-3) a 38-27 lead, the first time all game either team led by more than one score.

Manning was 21-of-34 for 221 yards passing, and he ran nine times for 155 yards.

He delivered a perfect throw to Kaliq Lockett on a 30-yard TD for a 31-27 lead, the first time Texas led since a field goal on its opening drive.

That was one play after he scrambled 15 yards for a first down on fourth-and-2. Manning twice converted on fourth down with clutch runs, both times extending drives that led to touchdowns.

Manning said it was meaningful to end on a high note after having an up-and-down season.

“I think I go back to Coach [Steve Sarkisian’s] point, just staying the course and continue to compete,” Manning said. “And I think we had a month of preparation before this and getting new guys acclimated, and it was cool to cap it off like the way we did.”

Kyle Whittingham, who arrived in Orlando on Saturday to start meeting with players, watched from the box at the Citrus Bowl. The longtime Utah coach takes over a Michigan team (9-4) that produced a strong running game and played tough on defense despite missing its top two defenders, who opted out of the game.

But there was no answer for Manning, who accounted for about 80% of the Longhorns’ offense.

Texas also got great production from freshman running back Christian Clark, who had one touchdown and rushed for 105 yards on 20 carries. The Longhorns were without their three leading rushers, all of whom are entering the transfer portal.

Bryce Underwood, Michigan’s freshman quarterback, kept the Wolverines in the game until a pair of late interceptions sealed it. He was 23-of-42 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, along with three interceptions in the last 18 minutes of the game.

Underwood, who ran for 77 yards, scampered for a 5-yard touchdown run by diving to touch the pylon, giving Michigan its last lead at 27-24 with just under 11 minutes to go.

His pass was intercepted by Ty’Anthony Smith over the middle after Texas had taken the lead, and Smith picked off Underwood another time along the sideline on the next drive.

“We have got a great football team in there that, I promise you, not a lot of people wanted to play,” Sarkisian said. “There was probably a lot of teams that were hoping we didn’t get into the playoff, and that’s OK, too. But our trajectory is right where it needs to be. We’re a very good football team. We lost a couple tough ballgames. We fought back. We’ve got the right culture, the right mentality.”

Biff Poggi lost for the first time as Michigan’s interim coach. Poggi coached victories over Nebraska and Central Michigan when former coach Sherrone Moore served a two-game suspension related to the sign-stealing scandal from 2023.

Moore was fired three weeks ago due to what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” and he was arrested and charged with three crimes later in the day for breaking into the woman’s home.

Whittingham brings a history of toughness and discipline from his 21 years at Utah, which Michigan hopes can go a long way toward bringing some stability.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Miami received plenty of attention for its high-profile transfer quarterbacks and dynamic offensive playmakers. But when the Hurricanes were at their zenith, “The U” was defined by physicality. 

No. 2 Ohio State was a perfect stress test for the surging Hurricanes, fresh off their first playoff win. On the third play of the game, the Ohio State offensive line parted like the Red Sea and kraken-like defensive ends Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor broke through for the first of many sacks on Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin. 

“It’s just three and four,” defensive end Rueben Bain said. “That’s just what three and four do, playing fast, playing physically, just playing that brand of football.” 

Three and four in this case refers to Mesidor and Bain, the best defensive end combination in college football. And for the Hurricanes, the duo is a throwback. 

No. 10 Miami didn’t just beat Ohio State in one of the biggest upsets of the playoff era. They pulverized them, turning 9.5-point underdog status into a 24-14 win against the reigning national champions. The Hurricanes held the Buckeyes to negative rushing yardage in the first half and rushed for more yards against Ohio State than any team since the season opener. 

Miami coach Mario Cristobal is an offensive line coach by trade, and his physical presence permeates through the program. The Hurricanes have recruited and developed at an elite level in both trenches, developing consensus All-Americans on both sides. At a time where offensive lines are regressing nationally, Miami is only getting better. 

“When you look at what we go against every day, when we go good-on-good, that’s my favorite period of practice,” defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “It’s not exactly the same look you’re going to get, not exactly the same formation, not the same pitcher – but you’re seeing the fast fastball.” 

When going against Ohio State, both trenches were more than ready for the challenge. The Hurricanes got after Sayin from the start. After sacking him in the first, the Buckeyes tried to go to the quick game and Keionte Scott jumped the route and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown. The defense finished with five sacks, including three combined by Mesidor and Bain. 

In the second half, Miami tried to use short passes and interior runs to take Miami’s star edge rushers out of the game. But on the game’s deciding drive, Ohio State was called for a holding that prevented points. Miami was able to put the game away with a field goal. 

The Buckeyes have been the standard up front across college football for years. At the Cotton Bowl, there was no question which was the more physical team. 

“They’re a good unit, they’ve got good guys on their team,” Mesidor said. “But at the end of the day, if you give me and Rueben one-on-ones, we’re going to take advantage of that all day. I take us every time.” 

In the game’s waning moments, the Miami offensive line took over. Running back CharMar Brown came off the bench to deliver 26 physical yards, adding to game MVP Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 115 all-purpose yards. 

It was the second week in a row that Cristobal leaned on his signature offensive line and running game to close things out. Again, it led to a game-sealing touchdown drive. 

“We keep getting better and better up front,” Cristobal said. “We don’t think we have arrived by any stretch, but we certainly think we’re getting better. When you play a team like that that’s been the number one defense in the country the entire year, you have to. And you have to not only hit, but you’ve got to be willing to take the hits and keep coming.” 

Miami was the subject of controversy when it passed Notre Dame to take the final at-large spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. After wins over No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 2 Ohio State, the Hurricanes have proven they belong. 

In the next round, Miami gets the winner of Georgia vs. Ole Miss and a date in the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. After passing the program’s biggest test in at least 20 years, Miami is ready to fight with anyone they meet. 

“[Cristobal] told me that we’ll get this program back to national championship status,” Fletcher said. “We’ll just continue to keep on going on one game at a time.”