Former Liverpool legends send transfer advice to Reds amid Premier League title
Peter Crouch and Joe Cole has hinted that Liverpool need a major signing this transfer window in order to boost their Premier League title bid.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have undergone another relatively quiet window so far with Ibrahima Konate the only new face in the Reds squad after the defender moved for £36million from RB Leipzig.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s title rivals Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United have shown their mettle in the transfer window by bringing in signings such as Jack Grealish, Romelu Lukaku and Jadon Sancho respectively for considerable fees.
And while former Reds striker Crouch claims Klopp’s men can still compete for the top-flight title this season, and the return of Virgil van Dijk from a long-term knee injury is like a new signing, he still feels Liverpool needs a new marquee name.
Crouch told BT Sport before their match with Burnley: ”When a new signing walks through the door, when Lukaku. Sancho and Varane walk through the door (it lifts everyone). If they (Liverpool) signed Lukaku, you’re talking about them being front runners for the title.
‘They haven’t signed anyone, they’ve got Konate but they haven’t really gone out and got someone. This squad still has the quality to be title contenders.
‘When someone walks through the door, when Shevchenko and Ballack walk through the door, when Torres walks through the door, it lifts training.
‘But with van Dijk, when the full-backs bomb forward when the strikers bomb forward, when they look back and see him there it’s a big lift to the whole team.’
On Saturday against Burnley, Van Dijk started his second competitive match since returning from a knee injury sustained in last October’s Merseyside derby draw with Everton.
With Konate named on the bench, the only other relatively new face for the Reds’ new season was midfielder Harvey Elliott, who spent the last campaign on loan at Blackburn Rovers where he registered 11 Championship assists.
However, the Meryseysiders have been busy in renewing a number of their stars’ contract this summer, with Alisson Becker, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold among the players to have committed to new deals.
Club captain Jordan Henderson and star winger Salah are also believed to be close to renewing their deals at Anfield.
Former Liverpool midfielder Cole claims Klopp’s side are relying on the group of players who earned them the 2019-20 Premier League title, without having to change too much from external investments.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m concerned. They didn’t do any business last year, they are banking on that unit of players that won them the title.
‘Last year, it got decimated by injuries. Instead of going for the big star, we’re going to put you in that position on the pitch and challenge Mane. They’ve gone around the peripheries, while Chelsea have gone “Lukaku, he’s playing. If it upsets Havertz and Werner, whatever.”
‘Whether they have the money to go for big players, I don’t know. They’ve gone down the road of giving out big contracts.’
