Luis Garcia is confident that Liverpool will qualify for the Champions League next term but insists Jurgen Klopp must make more signings this summer.
The German tactician has already secured the services of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig but after witnessing five midfielders leave the club, as well as Bobby Firmino, more new faces are needed to revitalise our squad.
The ex-Red has singled out right back and central midfielders as the two main areas of the pitch that Klopp needs to strengthen ahead of the new campaign.
“Yes I do, I think with the new replacements in the middle,” the Spaniard told ESPN (via Rousing The Kop) when asked if Liverpool will finish in the top four next term. “At the back I think we still need someone in that right-back position but having Darwin Nunez on form, Luis Diaz on form Jota, Gakpo I think that we have enough firepower up front to score goals.
“I think that we’re going to miss Fabinho definitely, we need to seal that place, I don’t say that Curtis Jones can’t do a great job right there but I think that we need someone who can help the defenders to maintain, to keep the balance to the team in transition.”
Our main deep-lying midfielder Fabinho, who joined the club from Monaco in 2018, completed a £40m move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad earlier this week and is yet to be replaced.
Both of our new signings of course can operate in central midfield, but they will not offer the immense protection and tough-tackling that the Brazilian did during his time at L4.
Romeo Lavia is the main name being linked with a move to Anfield to replace Fabinho but Southampton are standing by their £50m asking price having already rejected two offers from Liverpool for the 19-year-old.
In terms of right back, however, that is a position that has belonged to Trent Alexander-Arnold since he burst onto the scene all them years ago.
The Scouser has impressed when deployed in midfield, though, and it’ll be interesting to see if our No. 66 is moved into the engine room on permanently or whether Klopp decides to stick with the tactics that see him deployed in an inverted full-back role.
More business does need to be completed if we’re to seriously compete on all four fronts next term but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens!
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones