Micah Richards has given an insight into what Jamie Carragher thinks Liverpool need in the transfer market.
With the January window now closed for the year, the Reds have no further chances to add to their squad this season. For the first time in five years, they’ve kept their powder dry in the winter market. Part of the reason for that is surely the plethora of talented young players Liverpool have coming through at the moment. Perhaps the most exciting of these prospects is right-back Conor Bradley.
Carragher himself has this week claimed that Bradley could save the Reds millions from buying a back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold. And speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast today, Richards has confirmed that this is a drum that the Liverpool legend has been banging for some time.
“I work with Jamie Carragher and he has said for years now that Liverpool need to buy a right-back to take the work load off Trent,” said the former Manchester City defender.
With Bradley coming through though, Richards thinks that not only have they found their back-up, but they could already sell the 20-year-old for a big fee if they so wished, too.
“Now they have Conor Bradley who has come through, it is just amazing,” raved the 39-year-old. “He is worth £20, £30 million already. Just by his performances.”
Richards puts price-tag on Bradley
It says something about the state of modern football that Richards is probably right here. If Liverpool were looking to sell Bradley, you’d imagine they’d be asking for something in the £20-30m range.
For a player who has featured just 13 times for the first-team, that might seem like a crazy thing to say.
But when buying a player like Bradley, you’re not just paying for what he is right now. You’re paying for what he might become.
After his dazzling performance against Chelsea on Wednesday, the Northern Irishman is being predicted for all kinds of big things.
Should Liverpool be minded to do so, they could ride that wave and look to sell Bradley while his stock is high.
Having been brought to Anfield as a 16-year-old for the academy, the Reds would be banking pretty much pure profit. In these days of financial troubles in the Premier League, that could be attractive.
Despite that though, we don’t think Liverpool will look to sell young Conor. If he becomes a first-team regular he’ll soon be worth double that, anyway.
For now, it’s best to leave this kind of talk and let him develop. With the spotlight very much on him, Bradley’s development will now be scrutinised. In some ways, the honeymoon is over.
Not that Conor will mind that. Just get your head down and play your football, young man. The rest is just noise.
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