Jamie Carragher has revealed the “five or six players” he believes Liverpool need to bring in this summer after a week that saw their trophy ambitions end in two competitions.
The Reds suffered heartbreak in the Champions League last 16 as they endured a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek before slipping to a limp 2-1 loss to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
They also lost to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup earlier this season, although they are well-placed to brilliantly win the Premier League title as they sit 12 points clear at the top with nine games to play.
And while a league title would make it a hugely successful first season under Arne Slot, Liverpool legend Carragher admits the squad still needs improving in a number of key positions to sustain success.
“I’m excited to see where Arne Slot will take Liverpool because it looks like they’re going to win the league, but there are still so many areas to improve,” said Carragher, speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
“He needs a centre-back as back-up to the two that we have, he’ll need a right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold likely to leave. I think he needs a centre midfielder to replace Endo, someone younger and that he trusts, a centre-forward to play and a left-winger.
“There are at least five or six players he needs to get in – three to go straight in the team and three to be strong back-ups.”
Liverpool’s squad is more streamlined than many of their rivals, with Slot have only regularly relied on 15 or 16 players across the course of the season.
Last summer they made just one signing of note, Federico Chiesa from Juventus, and he has struggled with injuries and lack of match fitness for large parts of the campaign – although he did score in the Carabao Cup final to set up a grandstand finale.
And Carragher believes the smaller squad has been something of a double-edged sword for the Reds.
“You can look at it two ways,” he explained. “You can say that it’s come back to bite them on the backside, with the Champions League and this cup final. But does that put Liverpool in the position that we are as well? Are the other squad players as good?
“I don’t think he [Slot] has any time for four or five players in that squad, and the fact that he didn’t change players at home to Southampton between the PSG games – against one of the worst teams ever in the Premier League – I can accept that this season as this isn’t really his squad, but next season I’m sure he’ll bring players in.
“He’ll have to trust his squad more because he’ll need to get further in the Champions League, and he can’t accept a performance like that in a cup final.”
