Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen have offered their analysis of Liverpool’s squad and believe manager Jurgen Klopp could have a problem brewing in the near future. Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen have agreed on the biggest problem which Liverpool must address in the near future.
Compared to some of their rivals, Liverpool had a quiet summer transfer window, with Ibrahima Konate’s £36million move from RB Leipzig their sole addition.
Liverpool made some key business deals this summer, even though they were not active on the transfer market.
Liverpool secured some key players in the long-term by renewing their contracts with Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Trent Alexander–Arnold, Fabinho as well as Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.
Ferdinand, a former Manchester United defender, believes Jurgen Klopp would have benefitted from reinforcements in attacking positions with very little depth behind Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah.
“Listen, there’s a place for experience and there’s a place for youth, but you’ve got to get that balance right,” he said on BT Sport. “If you were going to level any criticism at Liverpool over the last transfer windows, you’d say they could’ve spent a bit more in terms of numbers and quality and add a bit more quality in the forward areas.”
“They added [Diogo] Jota [last summer] who unfortunately got injured and he did really well. You’d like that bit of ability to flex your muscles.”
“You look around Europe and look at the ability and then the players around that to come in, Liverpool outside the front three are way behind those teams.”
Salah, Mane, and Firmino all have contracts that expire at the end of June 2023, meaning Liverpool will soon have some decisions to make over their futures. The Reds’ attacking trio are also all 29 years old – and with just Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino in reserve currently – Klopp could do with some fresh faces.
“I think Liverpool are going to address it,” former Liverpool striker Owen said. What I think the big concern is [that] everyone is going to be old at the same time, in three or four years. The front three, Firmino and Salah, are all in their late 20s.”
“Another three or four years you’re not going to replace one, it all of a sudden goes bump and you’ve got to replace two of them. I think that’s the general around the team – the Matips, the Van Dijks – they’re all late 20s now.”
“You’ve got your Henderson and Milners, but that’s fine, that’s experienced but when there’s a glut – that will happen – in four, five years that’s something that Jurgen Klopp has to address next year.”
Liverpool wanted to consolidate its position in the summer transfer windows, but player sales may place them in a good spot in the future windows. If Harry Wilson and Marko Grujic were all sold for large transfer fees funds could be available to buy more in 2022.