After suffering through what could be considered an injury crisis at the start of this season, Liverpool have been pleased to welcome back Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into full training. The Ox made a late substitute appearance against Nottingham Forest last week, with Keita expected to play some part in the remaining domestic fixtures between now and the start of the World Cup.
Both players are free to negotiate a move elsewhere in January, as their contracts expire at the end of the season.
With this in mind, on the latest episode of our Journo Insight Show, Redmen TV subscriber Ashley Frith asked goal.com’s Neil Jones if he thought Liverpool would be better off trying to sign two or three midfield options this summer, instead of number one target Jude Bellingham.
Neil said:
“A tough one. You would say in terms of what’s needed, you need both really, don’t they? In the sense of they need the star, but they also need some bodies, because you’re talking about three midfield players out of contract come the next summer. Tielemans is out of contract himself, so lower cost – he’s free in terms of transfer fee with him. I’m not 100% convinced on Caicedo as a Liverpool target, but we’ll see.
I would say that Liverpool need at least two next summer, probably three. So, it depends on what the availability is. It’s Jude Bellingham plus two, then. I think it’s going to be two cheap ones. If it’s Jude Bellingham, then you could be looking at Liverpool going down a route of signing two players like that if they can’t get the ‘gun’ player.
[on Frenkie de Jong]
I would say probably borderline in terms of style. Barcelona/Liverpool is a very different style of football, isn’t it? Especially for a midfielder. If you say Frenkie de Jong instead of Jude Bellingham, to me it doesn’t really fit. If Barcelona had got their way, they wanted him off the books, because of what they had done with his wages. They are going to have pull some more levers, aren’t they, Barcelona? After the way that that has gone in the group stages for them, I think there will be a few players you are looking at and thinking, ‘they are going to have a bit of a fire sale.’ There is no question about it. I don’t know. Instantly I’m a little bit ‘hmm’ with Frenkie de Jong to Liverpool. I don’t know. Doesn’t seem to fit the bill to me.”
TO HEAR MORE FROM NEIL ON TOPICS SUCH AS THE FUTURE OF MICHAEL EDWARDS, CLICK HERE
