Exclusive: Stan Collymore highlights the area that Liverpool should strengthen in the summer and offers honest Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain assessment

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Former Liverpool player Stan Collymore has claimed that Jurgen Klopp should be looking to sign ‘two or three’ midfielders in the summer.

The ex-Red also claimed that it’s a ‘fact’ that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ‘could’ve done more’ so far in his Anfield career.

“For me, as and when Liverpool have the resources, the financial resources, more than likely in the summer window, to be able to upgrade two or three in midfield, then I think that’s an obvious place to start,” the 50-year-old told Empire of the Kop.

“That’s where games are won and lost, Aston Villa, for me, lost the game and lost the momentum in central midfield.

“You only have to look at recent Premier League winners, including Liverpool, to know that the three in midfield, they dominate the game, dominate the result.

“That’s been the same whether it be Chelsea becoming champions of Europe, whether it be Manchester City winning the title, or Liverpool winning the title.

Collymore was also asked about what he’s made of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performance against Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa.

Our No. 15 started as part of the front-three in the false-nine role but failed to have much of an impact on the game.

“I don’t see Ox getting in even for two or three games into Manchester city’s midfield or Chelsea’s midfield. 

“Yes, I want him to come in and play well, yes, he has come in and played well for two or three games, but today I think he could’ve done more, and genuinely, for Liverpool, I think he could’ve done more when he’s been fit and been able to do so.”
It’s frustrating for many Reds supporters to see the Ox not reaching his potential.
His quality has never been questioned, but it’s the consistency that he fails to provide which means he’s not a regular starter.
If he could choose, the former Arsenal man would prefer to play in a central midfield position rather than the false nine role that Klopp deployed him in against the Villans.
We have a lot of squad depth in midfield, especially when you consider that Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones are still sidelined with injuries and Naby Keita has only just returned from his latest setback, but the German boss may be tempted to dive into the transfer market in the summer, if not January, to further strengthen our midfield options.
You can watch Collymore speaking about the situation below via our Twitter page. 
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