Carragher urges Liverpool to make January transfer for Premier League title push
Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to sign a specialist holding midfielder in the January transfer window to help Jurgen Klopp sustain their Premier League title challenge.
Liverpool sit top of the league, one point ahead of Arsenal, before their game against Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday. Klopp’s side are unbeaten in nine league matches and have shown remarkable resilience to score late winners against Fulham and Crystal Palace in recent weeks.
Many pundits did not expect the Reds to be competing at the top of the table after a turbulent summer which saw them completely reshape their midfield. Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita left, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo brought in.
Liverpool have managed the overhaul well, winning 11 of their 16 matches in the league, but Carragher isn’t entirely convinced yet. He thinks the club’s recruitment team should push to sign a defensively-minded midfielder to help balance the side.
“Liverpool are top of the league and I am not really sure how,” Carragher wrote for the Telegraph. “The league table says one thing but my eyes tell me something else. The balance of the team is still not quite right, and it is hard to imagine it will be without a ready-made defensive midfielder.”
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He added: “The much talked about new midfield is not fully functioning yet, the trio of Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch impressing in moments rather than in back-to-back fixtures.
Dominik Szoboszlai is part of a new-look midfield for Liverpool (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Do you agree with Jamie Carragher? Should Liverpool sign a midfielder in January? Comment below.
“For Liverpool to maintain their position at the top, that has to change and the additions must raise their level from promising and occasionally good to consistently outstanding. A decision may be looming in January regarding a top number six. If there is one out there, why not push for it now rather than wait?”
Liverpool are more interested in signing a central defender in January, with Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi on their radar. The need for reinforcements in defence has been heightened following the serious knee injury sustained by Joel Matip, but Klopp has played down the chances of movement in January.
“You always talk about transfers like it is the easiest thing in the world,” Klopp said recently. “They all cost money, it must be the right player. We still have four centre-backs. Tell me a club which wants to sell a top, top centre-half. Tell me one."
He continued: "Is it now perfect? As long as we can go with those four [centre-backs]. If not, then it will be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up. It was never wonderland when you bring a world-class centre-back until the other one is fit again.
"As long as other clubs don't put them under the Christmas tree for us and say, 'Take it and use it for as long as you need it'... I didn't really think about it yet because it was only five days since we had that problem. I don't think so, to be honest."
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