Jamie Carragher has told Jurgen Klopp to get rid of another long term player in order to free up room for a rebuild this summer.
Having ended the 2022/23 season empty handed in terms of silverware and failing to finish in the top four, the clear-out at Liverpool has already begun with Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner all leaving the club. With the transfer window opening in 10 days time, incomings are also being targeted following the appointment of new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke.
A deal for Brighton's Mac Allister appears all but signed and sealed, with the likes of Mason Mount and Manu Kone. But whilst it's Klopp's midfield that has come under the most scrutiny, Carragher has urged the German boss to revamp his defensive options.
“I look at the defence and I think Joel Matip now has got a year to go," Carragher told Redmen Plus , before outlining what he thinks his former club need instead. "If you got £10million, whatever the price may be, it’s probably right to move on. I do think we need a left-sided defender, a left-footed centre-back. A lot of teams have them, we don’t.
“A left-sided player would add something. Rather than getting a left-back because I don’t think we will, if we are going to continue with this formation now, (we should be) buying someone in that area, a centre-back who can do the full-back role. I definitely think a left-sided centre-back who can do that left-back job.”
Matip arrived at Anfield on a free transfer back in 2016, and has since made 187 appearances for the club in all competitions. And the 31-year-old was a pivotal figure in the 2018/19 Champions League and 2019/20 Premier League wins under Klopp, as well as landing a host of other trophies in his eight year stint.
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But the former Cameroon international has played just 14 league games in this campaign, with his first team opportunities limited by injury. Klopp has also favoured Ibrahima Konate to partner Virgil van Dijk, and will be aware the former Schalke man will be eligible to leave for free next summer.
Carragher has also called for Trent Alexander-Arnold to play in midfield next season, in a bid to soften the blow of missing out on Jude Bellingham : "I think his body language when he's in midfield, compared to when he's just playing in defence, is completely different," he said.
"Feels like I'm watching a different player. Some of the passes he plays, no matter who we buy, if we bought Bellingham, how much more could he do that TAA does in midfield. When Liverpool are on the ball, whoever you buy, whatever you spend, they cant do more than Trent."
