Former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann ruthlessly picked out six players Liverpool needed to replace.
Liverpool have endured a woeful season so far. The club sit ninth in the Premier League, some 19 points from table toppers Arsenal.
Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s side are in dire need of midfield rejuvenation, having been reliant on the leggy and ageing midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara whenever possible this term.
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In turn, the club have been linked with 19-year-old wonder kid Jude Bellingham, though they face a battle with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City for his signature.
Moreover, the World Cup’s Young Player of the Tournament, Enzo Fernandez, has also been cited as a potential target, along with Brighton duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.
Liverpool must replace six players
Hamann claimed that six Liverpool players needed replacing, adding that the club were in dire need of “four of five new players in midfield alone” to address their poor performances.
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Along with their ageing starters, the Reds have turned to the 37-year-old James Milner, and injury-prone duo Naby Keita and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain at various points this season.
With the latter pair out of contract in the summer Hamann insisted that Klopp’s side needed a complete revamp.
The German told Sky Germany: “Liverpool is just one team of many at the moment.
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“What has distinguished them for years, this crushing game, resilience, this intensity, this playful quality and their game management, is completely missing at the moment.
“They always knew what they had to do at all times, for example, to pull back a little at the right time in order to survive the opponents’ pressure phase. They are currently unable to do this.
“The Brighton game was a low point, they were runners-up in all aspects over 90 minutes. They cannot compensate for the absences and have four or five players who are probably facing the end of their Liverpool careers.
“Milner is 37, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contracts are expiring and they didn’t show enough in Liverpool. Fabinho hasn’t played well in the last six months, I’m not a great friend of Thiago and Henderson is always a topic as well.
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“They would have to get four or five new players in midfield alone and also strengthen their defence. They have to spend at least around £200m for that, but I don’t think they have that money.”
Topics: Football, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp