Gary Neville has claimed that Jurgen Klopp would swap Liverpool’s midfield for the options on offer at Manchester United.
The Reds midfield has been the subject of much discussion ever since last summer. With the position still not quite suitably strengthened, the debate rages on.
Speaking on The Overlap’s first video of the new season, Neville waded in on the discussion. The pundit suggested that Klopp would trade his midfield for United’s, as well as Arsenal’s right now.
“When you look at the actual players, let’s says United as an example. Fernandes, Mount, Casemiro, Eriksen. I think Jurgen Klopp would swap his midfield now for United’s,” the pundit claims.
“The midfield that Arsenal have got with Rice, Partey, Odegaard [he would swap as well].
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“He’s [Klopp] having to overcoach them and overperform. Before when they were signing these 30, 40 million pound players they ended up being absolutely outstanding and world-class players.
“These lads that he’s got now, we know they’re good players but they’re not the same Liverpool as they were four, five years ago. He does need now, unfortunately, to go and sort of get one from the top shelf.”
Neville makes Klopp midfield claim
Although Liverpool aren’t exactly settled in their midfield ahead of the new season, we’re not sure we agree with this from Neville.
It’s true that the Reds did want to sign Mount this summer. The 24-year-old looks like a smart addition for Erik ten Hag and it would have been exciting to see what he could do at Anfield.
But, other than that, we’re not all that fussed. Of course Liverpool could do with a player like Casemiro at the moment, but now 31, the Brazilian is at the back end of his career.
If the Reds can get Romeo Lavia in, we’d probably rather have him at 19 than Casemiro at 31.
And if we’re doing a like-for-like, then we’re also happy with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister over Eriksen and Fernandes. Both are very good players, but so are the Liverpool new boys.
Factor in that Liverpool have the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott around, and we think Jurgen is happy enough.
An extra body or perhaps two and that cohort is right up there with either United or Arsenal’s. Give us a season Gary, and we’ll prove it.