Former Anfield favourite urges club to reinforce key squad area

Glen Johnson urges Liverpool to sign midfield reinforcements

Speaking to bettingodds.com (h/t Liverpool Echo), former Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson spoke about the necessity of Liverpool signing reinforcements in the middle of the park following multiple injury situations and a string of inconsistent performances.

Johnson, who played for the Reds between 2009 and 2015 pointed out the need for a new midfielder or two for the Reds given the injury scare the club has been going through presently. Important players have been sidelined and it’s almost like if one midfielder returns from an injury layoff, one of the other midfielders gets injured.

The former right-back particularly spoke about getting Youri Tielemans and Douglas Luiz on board at the Reds, as early as the January transfer window. Amidst talks of Liverpool signing a new midfielder, the Merseysiders on deadline day announced a loan deal for Arthur Melo from Juventus. The midfielder as of now has played only 13 minutes for the Reds, featuring late in a 4-1 loss at Napoli.

Will Youri Tielemans be the answer?

Speaking of Youri Tielemans, he felt that it would be safe if the club would sign him as early as January avoiding the risk of losing a transfer target for free come the end of his contract at Leicester City in 2023.

He believes that Tielemans’ versatility makes sure that he walks into any Premier League team rather comfortably. The 25-year-old Belgian has more often than not been subject to a move to Anfield.

“I’d definitely be looking to sign him. If it’s safer to secure it now and pay a small fee then I’d do that. I wouldn’t run the risk of allowing anyone else to have him for free. I think he’s the sort of player that could fit into any team relatively straightforwardly.”

Is Douglas Luiz a viable option?

Another player whose contract ends next summer is Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa. The opportunity of getting a proven midfielder with Premier League experience might not come the Reds’ way on any other occasion. Liverpool’s struggles with injury saw them tweak their starting XI too often which is not beneficial, to say the least. Johnson spoke about this prevalent issue and spoke about the possibility

“He’s another good player. Liverpool probably do need two or three players in the midfield and if you can snap these sorts of players up, that have Premier League experience, for relatively cheap or even better on a free, then it’s a no-brainer. We know their squad is quite light and they’re starting XI is hindered quite a lot when they have a couple of injuries. I definitely think they need a few more bodies in there.”

Liverpool do not have a sizeable number of starter quality midfielders to play in the central midfield roles. Of the younger options we have in midfield, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are very injury prone. Moreover, Harvey Elliott has been playing out of position. Curtis Jones is a very capable player, but inconsistent performances and injury issues have sidelined him frequently.

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Hence, Liverpool needs to dip into the transfer market and buy someone who is a proven European-level player. For example Long-term Liverpool target Jude Bellingham.

The Reds are currently in a transitional phase as far as the midfield is concerned and hence, the need to sign a new body in the middle of the park becomes a necessity more than a want.