'Imagine him in a Liverpool kit' - Jurgen Klopp told to sign Arsenal star who has 'everything you need'

Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James believes Jurgen Klopp's side should prioritise a move for Gabriel Martinelli ahead of Raphinha this summer.

The Reds have been linked with both players in recent months, though the January arrival of Luis Diaz could impact whether or not either player is targeted at the end of the current campaign. Diaz has hit the ground running at Anfield and already looks to be a shrewd acquisition for Liverpool.

Raphinha has stood out in a struggling Leeds United side this campaign, meanwhile Martinelli continues to go from strength to strength under the guidance of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. The Brazilian impressed during the Gunners' recent Premier League defeat to Liverpool and Klopp has made no secret of his admiration for the 20-year-old.

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Offering his view on who be more suited to an Anfield switch, ex-Reds keeper David James has suggested Martinelli edges his vote. “Gabriel Martinelli is one player who I get excited by. If it was a choice between Martinelli and Raphinha, I would go for Martinelli,” James told ggrecon.com.

“He’s young and he’s got everything you need. It’s almost like a slightly rawer [Luis] Diaz, and the beauty of Diaz is that he can play basically anywhere. Martinelli obviously occupies the left a lot more. I always think that with a good environment and age, you can manipulate a player into something else, and I think Martinelli fits that criteria.

“He’s young and more than capable. And I can imagine him in a Liverpool kit, doing what he does with Arsenal, if not better, and just fitting in seamlessly.

"If you look at Liverpool’s recruitment, the age of the players they’re buying – they’re young: they’re kind of like 'we’ve already got the team now, but what’s it going to look like in the future?' They're bringing in those players to fill in those spaces where if [Roberto] Firmino, [Sadio] Mane, Salah drop out, they’ll be ready to go and replace them."