The Liverpool legend of the Newcastle United star, who is enjoying an excellent season
Comments
Sport
Jamie Carragher would take Sandro Tonali at Liverpool
Jamie Carragher would take Sandro Tonali at Liverpool(Image: Sky Sports)
Jamie Carragher has named the Newcastle United player he would like Liverpool to sign. And the Reds legend has explained why his former club don't look the same without Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool will get their hands on the Premier League trophy after Sunday's final game of the season at home to FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.
The Reds have failed to win since sealing the title with four matches to spare. While the results have mattered little and are understandable in the circumstances, they may shed light on to why head coach Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes want to bolster the squad this summer.
READ MORE: Roy Keane slams 'classless' Liverpool for title win response - 'They’re irritating me'READ MORE: Premier League make subtle trophy change as Liverpool set for title presentation
The new champions are closing in on the £30m signing of Jeremie Frimpong and also have an interest in his Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz, who would cost more than £100m, along with Bournemouth's £45m-rated Milos Kerkez.
If Liverpool were to pull off the audacious triple swoop it would significantly enhance their options in the full-back and attacking areas.
It remains to be seen, then, if Slot and Hughes would also choose to bring in another centre-midfielder.
Article continues below
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have been outstanding in that position this season. But there is an argument to suggest that both players could have been given more of a breather - Mac Allister has now been given time to rest up - and that could open the door to reinforcements being brought in.
Bruno Guimaraes has been linked with a move to the Reds in the past but Carragher believes it is another member of the Newcastle engine room who would fit in best at Anfield.
"Sandro Tonali," said Carragher on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet. "I’ve only said that this season since he went to that role.
"Guimaraes is a good player and the Newcastle fans love him, but they love him that much that I sometimes think, ‘am I watching the same game?’
"I think he’s a good player but he lacks a bit of pace – I like the pace and power of Tonali, when I see him getting across people, closing people down, knocking them out the way.”
Liverpool's winless run stretched to three matches on Monday when they were beaten 3-2 at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Slot rotated his team with captain Virgil van Dijk an unused substitute as Jarell Quansah was brought in to partner Ibrahima Konate at centre-back.
And referencing why he said Arsena's William Saliba struggles without Gabriel alongside him, Carragher said: "Saliba is a centre-back I love - and I’m not classing him as a fringe player, he’s a brilliant player.
"But, he never quite looks the same when Gabriel isn’t alongside, I don’t know if that’s just the games I’ve seen. Me as a player, and we’re probably all the same, if someone said to me that, ‘you don’t look the same when he’s not playing’, I’d almost be embarrassed. You need someone else to play well.
Article continues below
"Let’s say for instance last night (against Brighton), Konate. I said before the game I was really interested to watch, because Liverpool have had a lot of centre-backs over the past few years who have played alongside van Dijk and people will say, ‘this is the best partnership in the league’. I always think, is it? Or is he just that good?
"That’s what great centre-backs do - they make other players look good. For me, I think of Tony Adams or John Terry, the great centre-backs. The thing for me when I watch centre-backs is I want to see them organise, and make other people play well around them.
"I was watching Konate - he’s a good player and he’s quick, I was just like, ‘he needs a bit more than that’. That’s what I was saying about Saliba, when Gabriel isn’t here."