• Belgian goalkeeper set to sign improved deal despite recent criticism • Klopp says he has no plans to sign a replacement goalkeeper in January

Simon Mignolet is close to signing a new contract at Liverpool, with negotiations over extending his Anfield career set to be concluded before the end of the month.

The Liverpool goalkeeper has attracted criticism for several errors this season but Jürgen Klopp has consistently backed the Belgium international, even blaming himself for West Bromwich Albion’s opening goal at Anfield on Sunday, and insisted he has no plans to move for a new No1 in January. That stance is likely to be reinforced by a new contract for the 27-year-old.

Talks have progressed swiftly and a resolution is close. Mignolet has two and a half years remaining on the five-year contract he signed on arriving from Sunderland for £9m in 2013 but Liverpool are willing to revise his initial £60,000-a-week deal.

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Klopp has distanced himself from links with Stoke City’s Jack Butland and the Belgium Under-21 international Guillaume Hubert while describing Mignolet as one of the smartest goalkeepers he has worked with.

The manager is prepared to assess the squad he inherited from Brendan Rodgers over the course of his debut season in English football and is not expected to make major moves in next month’s transfer window.

Liverpool have yet to discover the full extent of the knee injury Dejan Lovren suffered in Sunday’s tempestuous 2-2 draw with West Brom. Lovren was carried off on a stretcher following a tackle by Craig Gardner but has been unable to undergo a scan because of swelling around the knee. The Croatia international left Anfield on crutches having had stitches to a cut on the kneecap.

Jordan Henderson has cited Divock Origi’s 96th-minute equaliser against Tony Pulis’s team as evidence of the indefatigable spirit Liverpool have developed under Klopp.

The Liverpool captain, who dedicated his goal against West Brom to his family following the death of his grandmother last week, said: “We were a bit disappointed we didn’t get the three points but we kept going and managed to get an equaliser late on. I thought we were going to get a winner but we couldn’t get the ball over the line. We kept going and probably deserved more than a point to be honest.

“I think that is a real positive we can take out of the day. Even though we went 2-1 down we kept going to the end and that is what you have to do in football. We scored one and were unlucky not to score another one and that could have changed the game in five minutes. You have to keep going right until the end.”