Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has claimed that Liverpool must strengthen their defence in the upcoming transfer window in order to get the best chances of winning the Premier League.
Liverpool find themselves top of the table at the beginning of 2024 as they chase a second Premier League title, the Reds having been in significantly better form than this time last season.
However, they are likely to be pushed all the way by last season’s top two Manchester City and Arsenal, while surprise package Aston Villa have also shown they’re capable of mixing it with the big boys.
Recent injuries have made life more challenging for the Reds too, especially across the backline.
Liverpool are currently without their two first-choice left-backs, Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas both sidelined, while Joel Matip will also be out for the rest of the season.
With Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate having been prone to injuries in recent years, there is a sense that Jurgen Klopp may need to bolster his backline to ensure that Liverpool don’t come up short in the title race.
That’s certainly a sentiment that the former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher shares, admitting that he thinks his former side need to strengthen their backline in January.
Asked about the Reds’ title hopes before Liverpool’s clash with Newcastle United on New Year’s Day, Carragher stated:
“You can’t help but look at this Liverpool team and compare it to the team that won the league. It’s not as good as that team; that was unbelievable team, but you then look at the facts.
“This is a team who from the end of last season to right now, have lost one Premier League game in 30. That is unbelievable for any team.
“Maybe I need to start giving this team more credit and respect, but I still feel Manchester City have got the edge and are still favourites for the title right now.”
On Liverpool’s transfer plans this winter, Carragher added:
“I think on the back of the two injuries to the left-backs and Joel Matip being out for the season, I think the position they find themselves in is an opportunity they can’t waste, and I do feel Liverpool have to bring a defender to the club in January.”
Fellow pundit and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville also suggested that Liverpool could do with utilising the upcoming transfer window, claiming that the Reds may “dabble in the transfer market”.
Neville stated: “I am wondering whether Liverpool will have a dabble in the transfer market in January; they won’t announce it because they are clever and never want other clubs to know they are desperate, and they have been very clever in the transfer market over the last few years under Jurgen Klopp.
“I wonder whether they think adding to their squad will give them the difference because it is still up for grabs; there is no doubt about that.”
