Jamie Carragher has pinpointed the Newcastle player he’d like to see at Liverpool, and explained why his former team doesn’t seem the same without Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool is set to lift the Premier League trophy following its final match of the season against FA Cup victors Crystal Palace this Sunday. Despite clinching the title with four games to spare, Liverpool hasn’t managed a win since.
While these results may not be crucial, they could shed light on why head coach Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are keen to strengthen the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Reds are reportedly nearing adeal for Jeremie Frimpong and have also shown interest in his Bayer Leverkusen colleague Florian Wirtz, as well as Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.
Should Liverpool manage this ambitious triple signing, it would considerably boost its options in both defence and attack. It remains uncertain whether Slot and Hughes will also opt to recruit another central midfielder.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have been exceptional in that role this season. However, there’s a case to be made that both players could have benefited from more rest – Mac Allister is currently taking a break – which might pave the way for additional reinforcements.
Carragher has voiced his preference for a different Newcastle midfielder over Bruno Guimaraes, indicating on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast that Sandro Tonali would be a better fit at Anfield.
(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
“Sandro Tonali,” Carragher expressed, adding his observation after Tonali’s positional shift. “I’ve only said that this season since he went to that role. Guimaraes is a good player and the Newcastle fans love him, but they love him that much that I sometimes think, ‘am I watching the same game?’
“I think he’s a good player but he lacks a bit of pace – I like the pace and power of Tonali, when I see him getting across people, closing people down, knocking them out the way.”
Following Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion, the team’s winless streak has extended to three games.
Manager Slot adjusted his squad, with club captain Van Dijk sitting out as Jarell Quansah was called up to join Ibrahima Konate in defence.
Carragher compared William Saliba’s situation without Gabriel at Arsenal to the importance of his own defensive partnerships during his career: “Saliba is a center-back I love – and I’m not classing him as a fringe player, he’s a brilliant player.
“But, he never quite looks the same when Gabriel isn’t alongside, I don’t know if that’s just the games I’ve seen. Me as a player, and we’re probably all the same, if someone said to me that, ‘you don’t look the same when he’s not playing’, I’d almost be embarrassed. You need someone else to play well.
“Let’s say for instance last night (against Brighton), Konate. I said before the game I was really interested to watch, because Liverpool have had a lot of center-backs over the past few years who have played alongside van Dijk and people will say, ‘this is the best partnership in the league’. I always think, is it? Or is he just that good?
“That’s what great centre-backs do – they make other players look good. For me, I think of Tony Adams or John Terry, the great center-backs. The thing for me when I watch center-backs is I want to see them organise, and make other people play well around them.
“I was watching Konate – he’s a good player and he’s quick, I was just like, ‘He needs a bit more than that.’ That’s what I was saying about Saliba, when Gabriel isn’t here.”
