‘Klopp can see it’ – Owen highlights major Liverpool issue; expects changes to happen in the summer
Michael Owen has claimed that Liverpool’s midfield needs ‘a bit of surgery’ and has tipped Jurgen Klopp to improve that area of the pitch in the summer.
Despite having numerous options in the middle of the park, Reds fans have been calling for the club to sign an elite midfielder since last summer but the club has so far failed to do so.
Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all out of contract at the end of the season and Borussia Dortmund teenager Jude Bellingham is believed to be Klopp’s number one transfer target.
“It’s also an area [the midfield] that will be changing soon,” he told Premier League productions (via The Mirror). “James Milner can’t go on forever. Jordan Henderson can’t go on forever. I think that area of the pitch is going to need a bit of surgery and I think it’s going to happen in the summer – everyone can see it. Jurgen Klopp can see it.
“People talk about the age of the midfield there, whether Milner or Henderson should be replaced. They are still their best players in there – people say they are too old, but they are still the best players.
“Fabinho has been average this season. Really average. Harvey Elliott, when he came on at half-time, he give the ball away more than he kept it. Naby Keita is just not good enough for a midfielder, in my opinion, for Liverpool. It’s all right fans saying, ‘we need to change Henderson, we need to change Milner and get a new youngster in’.”
A midfield three of Milner, Keita and Jordan Henderson started yesterday’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and the lack of creativity from those three players was hugely concerning.
Although we’re aware that a lot of our attacking threat comes from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in the full-back positions, our midfield was pretty much non-existent against Patrick Vieira’s side.
Bellingham does appear to be the ideal signing required at Anfield with his ability to run the game from the centre of the pitch.
He can drive forward and make things happen while also being able to control play from a deep-lying position if needed.
With us facing the prospect of not finishing in the top four, however, what’s to say that the England international will want to swap Dortmund for Merseyside?
We need additional signings as well as the 19-year-old if we’re to remain as competitive as possible on all fronts for the foreseeable future and it certainly looks like we have a busy summer window ahead.
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