Two Areas That Liverpool Have To Strengthen In The Summer
Jurgen Klopp will be distraught by the way his side gave away 3 points in the home tie against Crystal Palace this weekend. A number of previous frailties were up on show as Liverpool failed to control the game and created nowhere near enough number of chances to take all 3 points. Injuries to the squad aside, Liverpool have a lot of work to be done on their first team and the manager will be looking to address more than a couple of positions in the squad this summer. So where should Klopp invest his money? Here are two positions that Liverpool need to strengthen in the summer transfer window:
Defensive Midfield
Liverpool once had a midfield three of Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso in their ranks. It is safe to say that even after all these years, they have failed to replace even one of those names. Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and Lucas Leiva have all played as deep midfielders this season and though they were decent in bursts, they are nowhere near reliable enough for the first team next season, with the exception being captain Jordan Henderson. Liverpool need a hard-tackling midfielder who would be ready to put his body on the line and defend till the very end and it is hard to think of such a player in the current squad. Can has been decent in the last few games but he lacks the discipline for this role and Klopp should be in the market for a replacement. The likes of Naby Keita and Thiago Maia are currently on the radar for this position but it will be interesting to see who Klopp signs for the club.
Central Defence
Not a single Liverpool fan will argue against the fact that they need strengthening at the back. Klopp has used the likes of Dejan Lovren, Ragnar Klavan and Lucas Leiva to partner the first-choice defender Joel Matip this season. But none of the players have been solid like Lovren was against Palace. It is high time for Liverpool to start thinking about spending big on an established defender and not doing so can seriously hurt their shot at success next campaign. Matip has been decent and will get better next season. He is expected to start the first game for Liverpool next season and Klopp has been looking at the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Michael Keane and Jose Gimenez to partner him. Though he is no closer to landing any of the players, Klopp has suggested that he is ready to break the bank and Liverpool fans can expect some star signing to arrive in the summer.
