Liverpool’s former left-back has encouraged the club to sign a replacement for the man that occupies his old position, Alberto Moreno.
Riise has been one of Moreno’s biggest supporters, but now wants Liverpool to at least purchase a defender to provide competition for the Spaniard.
“I can see Liverpool looking for a left back and maybe a few others as well,” Riise told Sky Sports.
“I’m big fan of his (Moreno) but last year he was caught too many times out of position and I think he needs more competition for his place.
“He’s offensive, he’s strong, he’s quick but you can’t get caught out of position that many times.”
After selling Brad Smith, Liverpool only have James Milner as support for the inconsistent 23-year-old. Even without European football, this doesn’t seem sufficient, with three weeks left until the transfer window closes.
Moreno’s last competitive game for us was his nightmarish performance in the Europa League final loss to Sevilla, and it really does seem crazy that no left-back has yet been bought.
Joe Gomez can also eventually provide support, but really, we need an upgrade on the Spaniard – who was poor throughout this weekend’s friendly fixtures with Barcelona and then Mainz.
Jonas Hector fits the bill perfectly. He plays for Cologne in Germany so is attainable and at 25, is entering his peak defensive years. Importantly, he’s a defender first and foremost, while Moreno is undeniably not – being much more comfortable in the opposition half.
We’ll soon see whether Klopp will choose to sign his eighth player of the summer.