Liverpool faces a big summer in the transfer window after such a poor season, but John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher think their former club should have different priorities
06:00, 28 May 2026
Former Liverpool players John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher
John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher have had their say on what Liverpool's transfer priority should be this summer(Image: Getty Images)
John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher differ in their views on what Liverpool’s transfer priority should be this summer, with the Reds facing a crucial few months after such a poor season.
Despite spending around $600 million on new arrivals last summer, including the record-breaking signings of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, Liverpool has endured a major slide in performances over the course of this season.
Arne Slot’s side did manage to secure Champions League qualification, but only on the final day, and serious doubts have been cast by fans on the head coach and his team ahead of the summer.
Liverpool will almost certainly need to do plenty more business this summer, with former striker Aldridge insisting that a new holding midfielder should be the priority.
The Reds’ engine room has come under fire this season, with questions being asked of Alexis Mac Allister after a disappointing campaign, while Ryan Gravenberch has failed to reach the same heights as last season.
“They may not end up spending anywhere near as much as last summer,” Aldridge said in his column for the Liverpool Echo. “But it promises to be another big transfer window for Liverpool.
“And it needs to be. The squad isn’t good enough and isn’t deep enough. That has been proven throughout the season.
Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool look dejected during the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on November 22 2025
John Aldridge feels Liverpool needs to address its midfield(Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
“For me, the priority simply has to be a holding midfielder. I know that might not fit into Arne Slot’s overall vision of wanting progressive players in the centre of the park, but we need someone who is going to protect the back four.
“Liverpool have almost always had one such player in their team. And, don't forget, it was the signing of Fabinho in 2018 that turned us from challengers to champions.
“The back four was left exposed far too often over the season with the midfield simply much too open. Ryan Gravenberch is a good player but we’ve seen over the last 12 to 18 months that he isn’t a number six, and having one in the team would release him further upfield.”
Carragher, though, has turned his attention to another area of the pitch, with the former defender feeling as though Liverpool’s right-hand side needs to be addressed first.
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The Reds won’t have Mohamed Salah to call upon on that wing for the first time since 2017, while right-back has proved to be a problem position throughout the season, with Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong struggling with injuries, while Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have both had to fill in at times.
"In terms of what Liverpool need to do next season, well obviously they need to replace [Mohamed] Salah," Carragher said last month.
"I think for me three players need to come straight into the team. You can't go on and buy five players into the team. Liverpool bought a lot of players last summer so they are not going to buy a load this summer.
"For me, you need to replace Mo Salah, obviously. Liverpool need a right-back They have fudged a few things there; they gave Conor Bradley his chance, he got another injury.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 19: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong of Liverpool participate in a training session at AXparticipates in a training Centre on December 19, 2025 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool needs to find a new right-back(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"Jeremie Frimpong has done all right, actually. I think he has done okay.
"But for me, I think Frimpong should be the back-up right-winger to the one that we buy in the summer. And I think Conor Bradley can fight with a new right-back that comes in."
Liverpool.com says: The truth is, both Aldridge and Carragher are right, which is worrying for Liverpool. After spending so much money last summer, you wouldn’t expect a team to need so much work doing on its squad.
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A holding midfielder and at least one new winger are a must, and if Ibrahima Konate doesn’t sign a new contract, so is a center-back. A right-back is debatable, and even with Bradley and Frimpong’s injury problems, you’d expect that might be a bit further down the list of priorities.