Liverpool’s summer activities and the transfers they should have made are a concern for Ian Wright.
Ian Wright has questioned Liverpool’s decision to not pursue Josko Gvardiol and believes that the Reds should have signed a world-class defender during the summer transfer window. Liverpool’s focus for the window was primarily on rebuilding their midfield, with the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch.
Despite the need for significant midfield improvements, Wright suggests that Liverpool might come to regret not pursuing Gvardiol, who eventually joined Manchester City in a £77 million deal from RB Leipzig. The 21-year-old defender had previously been linked with Liverpool and, according to Wright, would have been an ideal addition to bolster the squad, especially given Trent Alexander-Arnold’s evolving role.
Wright commented on the matter, saying, “If you are going to play with that inverted full-back, then I am not sure Joe Gomez or Joel Matip is the guy. When you look at Liverpool down the years, they have brought in proper defenders. They paid for Virgil van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate. Andy Robertson. [Kostas] Tsimikas as well. Four players they have paid for, it’s not good enough for a club of that stature and what they are trying to do. I feel that Liverpool should have got a real top-end defender – someone like Josko Gvardiol. He was out there. You should try to go in.”
Although reports prior to the transfer deadline suggested Klopp might consider adding another defender to the squad, Ryan Gravenberch was Liverpool’s final signing of the summer. Despite this, former Liverpool captain Henderson has stated that Klopp is “really happy” with the current team.
Henderson also defended Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, adding, “To be honest, I always felt as though they had the best interests of the club at heart. They never take any money out of the club. They invest it all back in the club — whether that’s with the stadium, training ground, players. But at the same time, they’re clever in what they do with the money.”
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