Liverpool have signed Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo so far but have been criticised for missing out on several key targets; Jamie Carragher: "Liverpool have got to go for it in the transfer market this week in terms of bringing in another defender and midfielder"
Monday 28 August 2023 12:31, UK
Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool can be Manchester City's biggest rivals again this season but only if they "really go for it" in the final week of the summer transfer window.
Liverpool have signed Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo so far this summer but have been criticised for missing out on several key targets, leaving Jurgen Klopp's side short of options in several areas of the pitch.
The arrival of Japan international Endo earlier this month came after Liverpool lost the race for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who both joined Chelsea, while the departures of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur Melo continue to leave a significant hole in Klopp's squad.
Speaking after Liverpool's stunning late comeback against Newcastle on Super Sunday, Carragher feels his former team could still challenge for the Premier League title this season, but only if they bring in at least two players before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Friday.
"Liverpool have been Manchester City's biggest rivals for the last four or five years," Carragher said. "Arsenal came to the fore last season, but why can't Liverpool be that team again this season?
"The squad that Liverpool have right now isn't good enough to challenge Manchester City, but they've got to go for it in the transfer market this week in terms of bringing in another defender and midfielder. That has to happen because Liverpool can still be the biggest rivals to Manchester City."
Carragher described Liverpool's summer as "an absolute mess, a joke and embarrassing" on Monday Night Football earlier this month and believes the source of Liverpool's woes is down to their lack of a regular sporting director.
However, the Sky Sports pundit feels there is still time for Klopp to build a team capable of challenging for trophies this term.
He added: "Liverpool have made more than a decent start to the season, but when you've got someone like Alisson - a world-class goalkeeper, maybe the best goalkeeper in the world - Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah, these are players who are not coming to the end of their careers but are at that stage where if Liverpool are going to go on to do something big again, it has to happen in the next year or two.
"So really go for it in the last week of the transfer window to get a squad that is good enough to challenge Manchester City."
Speaking moments before Carragher's assessment, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson asked the media not to "put words in our mouth" in response to reports suggesting some players are unhappy with the club's transfer business.
"I really believe we can do something special this season," the Brazil international said.
"There has been so much talk about our feelings on the transfer window. Please don't put words in our mouth, we are together, we believe in ourselves and we showed that at Newcastle.
"St James' Park is a really tough place to get three points in these circumstances. We have to use this game to move forward now."
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks with Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad reportedly willing to offer more than £100m to sign him.
Reds boss Klopp has since come out and said Salah is 100 per cent committed to the club and Carragher also thinks the 31-year-old will remain on Merseyside.
"I don't think Mo Salah will go. One, because it's so late in the window. And I don't necessarily think Mo Salah will want to go," Carragher said.
"I think Salah will be a little bit like Cristiano Ronaldo, I can see him playing until his late 30s. He will think he has another three or four years [at the highest level].
"He has two years left on his Liverpool contract, I don't know if he will stay beyond that. But I think he will want to score as many goals as he can, win the biggest honours and break records and then go to an MLS team, Saudi Arabia team maybe somewhere else in his late 30s. I think he looks after himself so well, he's such a professional, that he has many more years in Salah right now.
"If you think of the model of FSG and the reason why Liverpool have so much success, when someone paid over the odds for Philippe Coutinho, they didn't replace him. They bought Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker and Liverpool went on to win the lot.
"It would have to be over £150m, you're not replacing Salah for £100m. If it was earlier, maybe. But it's so late in the window."
Who will be on the move in the final days of the transfer window before it closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
