Trent Alexander-Arnold has quickly restored his reputation as one of the globe’s elite talents with his shift to a hybrid fullback role.

Despite the Scouser’s usefulness in midfield, however, Glen Johnson has warned it would be inappropriate to start the 25-year-old in the middle of the park against Manchester City.

“I don’t think Liverpool should be looking to play Trent in midfield full-time,” the 39-year-old spoke to Squawka.

“He’s had some good games for England in midfield, but I think he can only really do it against the weaker teams.

“If he’s playing in the midfield role against Man City, they’re not going to be worried about him, they’d probably enjoy it.

“It’s always good to experiment and try things but it’s not something Liverpool should be looking to do full-time.”

The England international, valued at £49.8m (according to Football Transfers‘ valuation system), has registered three assists in all competitions this term.

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Where does the future lie for Trent Alexander-Arnold?

The answer to where Trent will play in future is one that greatly depends on who you ask.

For Gareth Southgate, our Academy graduate is destined for the heart of the midfield, with the England boss labelling the fullback ‘excellent’ in the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with North Macedonia.

On the other hand, things get a little tricky when you consider his role at Liverpool.

A permanent midfield place seems highly unlikely for a number of reasons – chief amongst them perhaps the stark reality that we’ve an abundance of quality options fighting for a place in the starting trio.

Creatively, however, we have to ask whether a midfield slot would get the most out of Alexander-Arnold moving forward, particularly whilst his assists tally remains so low thus far.

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Glen Johnson has suggested that Thiago Alcantara’s days at Liverpool are numbered following the arrival of four new midfielders.

The Spaniard has been sidelined by injury since April owing to a number of concerns and his most recent hip trouble.

“I love Thiago as a player, he’s technically world class, but he’s struggled with injuries and I think the Premier League caught him by surprise a bit,” the former defender told Squawka.

“He did have some fantastic games, but maybe the pace of the game was just a little bit too quick.

“I’m sure he’ll go on to have a good career elsewhere but with Liverpool signing all these players in midfield that can stay fit then it’s not looking good for his Liverpool career.”

The Merseysiders have since added Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo to their midfield department.

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Has Thiago Alcantara struggled?

Criticism of Thiago’s performances in the famous red shirt is perhaps a little harsh.

The former Barcelona technician ultimately joined a Liverpool side devastated by injuries in the 2020/21 season and was forced to adjust his style of play to compensate.

We’ve seen more than glimpses of his brilliance from that point onwards amid a series of injury issues and niggles which have unquestionably been a source of great frustration.

If this is to be his last season playing for us, though, we certainly hope we’ll get one last good run out of Thiago in the new year.

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Glen Johnson has suggested that the winner of Liverpool’s tie with Manchester City could be handed a significant advantage in the title race.

The Merseysiders find themselves a point behind the incumbent champions at the top of the table and would leapfrog them with a win at the Etihad.

“There’s obviously still a long way to go, and it would take a brave man to say for certain,” the former fullback told Squawka. “Every team at the top looks beatable, but I have a feeling that whoever wins this game could end up taking that momentum and going on a long winning streak and getting some distance between them and everyone else at the top of the table.”

That said, it’s worth pointing out that Jurgen Klopp’s side hasn’t tasted success in the blue half of Manchester, in the Premier League, since 2015.

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Time to lay down a marker

Manchester City remain one of the most formidable sides in Europe following a first Champions League trophy win last summer.

That said, if the Sky Blues’ 4-4 draw with Chelsea was any indication, our upcoming opponents are not necessarily impregnable.

It’s a big ask, nonetheless, to secure the lion’s share of the points. Though, with a run that includes meetings with Sheffield United, Fulham and Crystal Palace, a win at the Etihad could be the bump of momentum we need to stake an early claim to the league crown.

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Liverpool have a squad of great players but Glen Johnson has earmarked one as someone who could become one of the best in Europe, if his current form continues.

Speaking with Squawka, the former Red said: ‘I think Nunez could absolutely become one of Europe’s elite. He impressed me a lot last year even when he wasn’t scoring, because he was still a threat.

‘You always worry about the strikers that not only aren’t scoring but aren’t affecting the game elsewhere, which you could never say was true of Nunez.

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‘Of course he does miss chances, but he creates for his teammates, he’s a threat to defenders. He’s a fantastic player and looks the real deal’.

After watching the difference in performance level and confidence from Darwin Nunez this season, it’s just great to see the praise that’s starting to finally come his way.

We all hope that he can continue to win over critics and that his standing as one of the best on the continent is secured, with some more big moments and big goals.

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This will all start with our next match against Manchester City and if the former Benfica man can make himself the hero for the game, then  even more heads will be turned.

After scoring 22 times for Jurgen Klopp since signing for the club, we’re all hoping for a long legacy at Anfield from our No.9.

Fingers crossed this is soon realised and that this constant threat to defenders and havoc that he creates, continues on the same trend and soon leads to plenty of goals for the Reds.

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Glen Johnson is relishing one particular personal duel in Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League clash against Manchester City.

The fixture pits the current top two against each other, and it also sees the division’s top scorer come up against probably its best defender, with Erling Haaland and Virgil van Dijk facing off.

The battle between those two could go a long way towards determining which (if either) team emerges victorious, and the former Reds defender is among those who’s intrigued as to how that match-up might play out.

Speaking to Squawka, Johnson said: “If anyone can stop Haaland, Van Dijk can. The issue is, with City it’s not just about him and there’s goal threats everywhere.

“Liverpool have to be careful [to] not just build the whole gameplan around Haaland, but in terms of the one-on-one battle between him and Van Dijk, it will be interesting to see how they take the game on. I’m interested to see if Haaland will look to go in behind or drop off and pull Van Dijk away from the defensive line.”

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The Man City striker missed Norway’s 3-3 draw against Scotland on Sunday due to an ankle injury but is expected to be fit enough to feature against the Reds next weekend.

He actually wasn’t on the pitch when his side won this fixture 4-1 last season, having been absent with a groin problem, while Van Dijk didn’t play when Liverpool lost at the Etihad Stadium in the Carabao Cup just before Christmas due to his involvement in the latter stages of the 2022 World Cup.

Therefore, assuming the 23-year-old recovers in time, it’ll be a first head-to-head between the pair since our win over City at Anfield 13 months ago, when the Dutchman helped us to a clean sheet.

The Reds’ captain’s performance levels have risen since then, and he goes into Saturday’s game buoyant off the back of a strong campaign so far for club and country, but Haaland’s return of 69 goals in 71 appearances for his current employers (Transfermarkt) tells us everything about his potency.

Broadcasters may bill it as irresistible force meets immovable object, and it’s an individual head-to-head which could be decisive, although Johnson is right to warn of Pep Guardiola’s side boasting an abundance of attacking threats who can’t be taken lightly by Liverpool’s defence.

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Glen Johnson has claimed that one Manchester City player could be in for a ‘tough’ afternoon against Liverpool on Saturday.

The Premier League’s top two go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium this coming weekend, with the home side one point clear of Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Although City are currently leading the way in their bid for a fourth successive title, the former Reds defender believes the Merseysiders have one man in particular who can torment his direct opponent.

Johnson told Squawka: “If [Mo] Salah is on form he makes it tough for anybody in the world, so that won’t be the benchmark for Josko Gvardiol.

“He’s obviously a good defender and he’s been trusted straight away to play in these big games by [Pep] Guardiola. Of course he’ll have a tough game defending Salah but he’s a talented player.”

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Gvardiol has been used primarily as a left-back since joining Man City in the summer, although his last couple of appearances have seen him deployed centrally (Transfermarkt).

It remains to be seen if Guardiola will put the Croatian directly up against Salah on Saturday, with a back three setup seeing them concede four times against Chelsea in their previous game.

The Liverpool attacker has been in scintillating form even by his own lofty standards, with seven goals in his last five league matches and 12 overall for the season (Transfermarkt); and whoever’s in direct opposition to him at the weekend, the 31-year-old will fancy his chances of making a telling impact yet again.

City are among the Egyptian’s favourite opponents – across his entire career, Man United are the only team (12) against whom he’s scored more often than the other club from Manchester (11), as per Transfermarkt.

While Gvardiol is a superb defender who’s had a decent start to his time in England, he’s set to face his sternest examination yet in the form of the imperious, free-scoring Salah, who we’re confident will find the net again on Saturday.

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Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has admitted he’s not sure whether Jarrod Bowen would be a decent replacement for Mo Salah when the Egyptian decides to leave the club.

Strong interest was shown in our No. 11 from Saudi Pro League clubs in the summer with the Reds receiving an ‘unbelievable offer’ two days prior to the transfer window closing.

The 31-year-old’s agent insisted the player remained committed to the Anfield outfit having only signed a new deal last summer but the situation led to Jurgen Klopp’s side being linked with a potential move for West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen.

“I don’t know if he possesses what’s needed to kick onto the next level. He’s evidently been playing well for West Ham and scoring goals, but to suggest that he can replace Mo Salah at Liverpool is a completely different league,” Johnson told Betfred (as quoted by The Kop Times).

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There’s no doubt that Bowen is a quality player and he’s started the campaign superbly for the Hammers.

The 26-year-old has five goals and one assist in eight Premier League games this term after registering 21 goal contributions across all competitions last season.

He scored the winning goal in stoppage time as David Moyes’ side defeated Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final and just last week signed a new seven-year deal with the London Stadium outfit.

Most football fans will be aware, however, that contracts don’t mean much in today’s game other than helping the selling club earn a much higher fee in the event of a sale being sanctioned.

Bowen cannot be compared to Salah but it’s hard to think of many players that can.

When the day does come to bid farewell to the Egyptian King it’ll be interesting to see whether the England international is still being linked with a move to Merseyside.

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Glen Johnson has named two current Premier League players who he’d love to see Liverpool trying to sign in 2024.

The former Reds defender was interviewed by GG Games as he fielded a series of questions on potential future signings at Anfield.

The 39-year-old was asked if LFC should make a renewed attempt to move for Bruno Guimaraes, for whom they reportedly tabled a £100m offer towards the end of the summer transfer window (AS), to which he replied: “Absolutely because I really like him.

“He’s been a key player for Newcastle United and he’s got an awful lot about him, so I can understand why Liverpool would want to sign him because he’s proven himself already at this level. I think all parties would be happy if Liverpool could sign him for £100m.”

Johnson was later asked if he’d like to see the Reds enter the mix for Brighton forward Evan Ferguson, with the ex-Anfield defender replying: “They should at least try, for sure. He’s a young kid that’s burst on the scene and is scoring goals in the Premier League, which is obviously a very tough thing to do.

“Evan will have a better chance at getting into either Chelsea or Liverpool’s team than he would Manchester City’s if he decided to make the move there.

“I believe Chelsea and Liverpool will have their eyes on Evan already because young goalscorers in the Premier League don’t come around that often, so you can completely understand why the big guns will have their eyes on him.”

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We’re with Johnson in believing that both Guimaraes and Ferguson would be very astute additions to Jurgen Klopp’s squad if Liverpool were to move for the duo.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been praised by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer for his unflappable in-game temperament (Match of the Day, via Shields Gazette), while he’s also astute at getting the ball into dangerous areas of the pitch.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 15 % of midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year for progressive passes (7.28) and successful take-ons (1.4) per match.

Meanwhile, Ferguson has been one of European football’s biggest revelations in 2023, scoring 14 goals in 34 games for Brighton despite not turning 19 until next month (Transfermarkt), including a hat-trick against Newcastle at the beginning of September.

Such is the Republic of Ireland international’s promise that there’s a belief within scouting circles that he could develop into a £100m-valued striker in future years (i News).

Liverpool already boast a formidable midfield and forward line, but even if they were to cost £200m between them, Guimaraes and Ferguson would both be magnificent additions to Klopp’s current squad.

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Glen Johnson has urged Liverpool to complete ‘a really sensible deal’ this summer by adding to their attacking options.

The ex-Red believes Jurgen Klopp should be interested in luring Juventus star Federico Chiesa to Anfield amid reports that the Merseysiders are preparing a bid for the Italy international.

Our German tactician has already strengthened our options in the middle of the park with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and Johnson now believes a move for the dynamic 25-year-old would ‘improve Liverpool’s squad’ further.

Speaking to Betfred (via Liverpool World), the former right-back said: “He’s a good player that plays for a huge club and has had success at international level. He’s not just been a member of the squad, but he’s performed when he’s had to and I believe it could be a really sensible deal for Liverpool if they can get him, if they don’t have to break the bank for him.

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“I think he’s a player that would improve Liverpool’s squad and if they can sign him for a reasonable fee, then that’s a transfer I’d really like to see happen.”

We’re already pretty well stocked in the attacking department but following the departure of Bobby Firmino Klopp may be tempted to bring in another attacker.

The Euros winner registered four goals and six assists for the Old Lady last term (across all competitions) but spend a lot of time on the treatment table with cruciate and knee injuries.

Reports in Italy (via The Boot Room) have suggested that Chiesa could be available for as little as £36.5m this summer which would be somewhat of a bargain for a player with the big game experience and quality of the Juventus No. 7.

With him often operating as a left winger, though, we can’t see Klopp and Co. being too interested in a move when you consider that our current forward options such as Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo can all operate in that position.

Newcastle are also believed to be showing strong interest in the winger (talkSPORT) as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his squad ahead of their participation in next season’s Champions League so this could be one to keep an eye on.

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Glen Johnson has been speaking about his decision to join Liverpool in the summer of 2009 and has explained how two former Reds stars played a huge role in convincing him to move to Merseyside ahead of other clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City.

The former England international was signed by Rafa Benitez after Liverpool were pipped to the Premier League title by Manchester United and he’s explained how some former Anfield favourites played a huge role in his move to L4.

“If a club like Liverpool comes knocking, you obviously immediately have an eye on it and an interest,” Johnson told the Liverpool ECHO in November 2021. “But what swung it was we played for England that summer, just before I signed, and I had a good chat with Stevie (Gerrard).

“And then I spoke to Torres and Alonso as well before signing. I just thought these were some of the best players in the world. They don’t need to phone me but they were phoning me to let me know how much they wanted me to join. Straight away, I felt like I knew them and it made me feel super welcome before I signed and everything just felt right.”

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It’s perhaps no surprise to hear that Steven Gerrard did his bit in helping us complete a deal for our former No. 2 but what is interesting is the fact that both Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres got involved.

The two Spaniards didn’t even know the former West Ham, Chelsea and Portsmouth man but they clearly felt they had a duty as some of the more important members our squad to share a conversation with Johnson.

The 38-year-old didn’t enjoy as much success as he would’ve hoped for when joining the club but was a part of the Liverpool squad that won the League Cup under Sir Kenny Dalglish in 2012 and came close to winning the Premier League title two years later under Brendan Rodgers.

The Englishman made a total of 200 appearances for the club before joining Stoke City in 2015.

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Glen Johnson has urged Liverpool to make a move for Roma striker Tammy Abraham this summer.

The former Chelsea man, who’s currently out injured with a knee injury which will see him sidelined for the majority of the year, struggled for form this season as the Stadio Olimpico outfit failed to achieve a top four finish.

He helped Jose Mourinho’s side to Europa Conference League glory last term, however, and was a part of the Roma side that was defeated on penalties by Seville in the Europa League final recently and Johnson believes he’d be a great signing for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“This may sound surprising, but I’d go for someone like Tammy Abraham,” he told Betfred (via Liverpool Echo). “He’s gone away to Italy, scored plenty of goals and he knows the Premier League. If he’s the number nine in a proper team, then I believe he’s going to score a lot of goals and I don’t believe signing him would break the bank.”

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The Mirror have reported that Roma are open to offers in the region of £40m for the 25-year-old while it was also rumoured that Aston Villa had agreed to sign the England international before he suffered an ACL injury on the final day of the season (Daily Mail).

He managed to net nine goals and register seven assists for Mourinho’s side this term (across all competitions) which is a huge disappointment when you consider he netted 27 goals last season.

Although Bobby Firmino may have now departed the club we believe it’s bizarre for Johnson to even mention Abraham when speaking about Liverpool.

We’ve never really operated with an out and out striker under Klopp and we don’t believe that’s something that will change this season.

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Glen Johnson has claimed that James Maddison ‘has the class’ to play for Liverpool despite recently being relegated from the Premier League with Leicester City.

The 26-year-old, who’s currently away representing England on international duty, has been linked with a move away from the King Power this summer with Newcastle and Spurs both interested in the playmaker.

Reports back in April claimed that Jurgen Klopp’s side had made contact with Leicester over a potential deal for Maddison and Johnson believes the former Norwich City man is ‘far too good’ to be plying his trade in the Championship.

Speaking to Betfred (via Football League World) Johnson said: “James Maddison is probably the one player from the relegated clubs that has the class to play for a Chelsea or a Liverpool.

“I doubt they’d be able to do that deal on the cheap because he’s Leicester City’s prized asset and he’s far too good to be playing in the Championship next season.”

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The Telegraph have reported that the East Midlands outfit are looking to receive a transfer fee in the region of £50m despite him approaching the final 12 months of his current deal.

They will not want to run the risk of losing him for free this time next year so may be forced to sell for a cut-price fee during the current window.

Despite Dean Smith’s side failing to avoid the drop Maddison registered 10 goals and nine assists in 30 Premier League games and it’s therefore no surprise that he’s being linked with a move to the divisions’ bigger clubs.

We can’t see Klopp and Co. willing to spend £50m on the player but it’ll be interesting to see where he’s plying his trade next term.

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Glen Johnson has urged Liverpool to avoid resigning Sadio Mane this summer.

The Senegal star only left Anfield for Bayern Munich this time last year but his first season with the Bundesliga champions didn’t exactly go to plan.

Despite him netting 12 goals and registering six assists (across all competitions) as Bayern retained the title, a bust-up with teammate Leroy Sane back in April led to our former No. 10 being suspended and reports of him moving on from the Allianz Arena already (The Mirror).

“Klopp should not look at Mane again,” Johnson told Neue Online Casino (via The Kop Times). “He is a fantastic player, but he would be coming back to a completely different team to the one that he left. He was great for Liverpool at the time, but it does not mean that he would be great for them now. I don’t think they should go for him.”

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Mane is a Liverpool legend and although he’s still a world-class player we don’t believe it would be wise to bring him back to L4.

His departure last year may have came as a surprise to Reds fans but we’ve since brought in Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo and we’re therefore currently pretty well stocked at the top end of the pitch.

With the former Southampton man now the wrong side of 30 that is a factor that makes a move even more unlikely.

After all of the success the 31-year-old tasted on Merseyside we feel that he still has a lot to give so let’s hope he can turn things around at Bayern and enjoy a successful campaign next time around.

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Glen Johnson believes the potential signing of Jurrien Timber would be a ‘bloody good start’ for Liverpool this summer.

90min have reported recently that the 21-year-old is ‘of interest’ to Jurgen Klopp’s side as he continues to be linked with a move away from Ajax at the end of the season.

The player himself, who is a teammate of Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo for the Dutch national side, has admitted that a move away from Amsterdam is ‘getting closer and closer’ and that he’s excited by the prospect of plying his trade in a new league.

“Virgil obviously knows him better than I do but he has 15 caps for Holland, so he clearly has a lot about him,” Johnson told Betfred (as quoted by Football365). “If you’ve got the two Holland international team’s centre-backs as your defensive pairing at club level, then usually that’s a bloody good start.

“To play as many times as he has for his country at his age and for Virgil to speak so highly of him, then he’s clearly a very good player.”

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Although Jurgen Klopp’s priority this summer is to reinforce his midfield options we certainly wouldn’t be against the signing of a young and talented central defender – a player that our No. 4 has labelled as a ‘great player’ with ‘so much potential’ (Daily Mail).

Timber has played 44 games for the Eredivisie outfit this term (across all competitions), including both clashes against Liverpool in the Champions League group stages, but it’s looking likely that this will be his last campaign at his boyhood club.

The Dutchman is under contract at the Johan Cruyff Arena until the summer of 2025 meaning it could potentially take a sizeable fee to bring him to Anfield but with him showing extreme potential at such a tender age it is a move that would certainly make sense.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibou Konate appear to be Klopp’s preferred pairing at central defence this term but with Joel Matip approaching the final 12 months of current deal and Joe Gomez struggling for regular game time on Merseyside it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see a new defender brought to L4 ahead of next season.

The Ajax No. 2 will be excited by the prospect of a move to the Premier League and linking up with his compatriots van Dijk and Gakpo at club level.

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Glen Johnson believes Liverpool should be a prioritising a move for Mason Mount over Alexis Mac Allister this summer.

Jurgen Klopp is expected to strengthen his midfield options ahead of next season and it’s believed that the German tactician has held a ‘direct meeting’ with the Brighton star recently.

Johnson believes the World Cup winner would only be a ‘squad player’ at Anfield, though, and therefore reckons it would make more sense to spend the estimated £70m on England international Mount.

The ex-Red told Betfred (as quoted by Football365): “Even though it sounds silly to say, nowadays, £70 million for a good player isn’t that expensive, is it? Alexis is certainly a good player but if you have to spend £70 million, then I’d rather that money was spent on Mason Mount.

“Mason would have suited the team better, he would have got into the starting eleven and I don’t believe that Alexis can instantly command a starting berth in Liverpool’s team.

“He would certainly be a good squad player, but I’d have preferred if they signed Mason Mount.”

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After ending our interest in Borussia Dortmund teenager Jude Bellingham last month, Reds fans are expecting Klopp to bring in two or three new midfielders to help strengthen our attempts of competing on all four fronts again next season.

Mount has been strongly linked with a move to L4 this summer as he approaches the final 12 months of his current Chelsea deal but recent reports have suggested that Mac Allister is now our main transfer target.

The 24-year-old has been in superb form for both club and country this term and with his price tag at an estimated £70m that would be somewhat of a bargain in today’s market.

He helped Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar back in December and he may now feel that it’s time for him to make the next step in his career.

Both players are impressive in their own right but we believe that the former Boca Juniors man is the type of player we need in our engine room next season – more so than the Chelsea star.

EOTK Insider: The two-time gold medalist who is the only man to sign for Liverpool and Everton on two separate occasions

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