“Buy a defender!!!!”. That was Jamie Carragher’s blunt message on social media after seeing Liverpool fail to keep another clean sheet at Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool have managed just three shut-outs in the last 11 games after recording 11 in their first 20. Carragher said: “The defensive solidity they had at the start of the season has gone. Always look likely to concede.”
Although Liverpool produced a barnstorming finale at Forest and created enough chances to win, they have been beaten just Accrington Stanley in their last four games, losing one and drawing the other two. This blip is their worst run of the season and they have left the door ajar to give Arsenal fresh hope in the title race when there was none.
They have conceded 14 goals in their last 11 games, compared to just 12 in their first 20. Carragher’s solution to buy a defender is not as easy as it sounds and Liverpool are highly unlikely to splash the cash this month.
They have money to spend after making a profit in the summer transfer window, but they cannot complete the quality of deals they would want. Their deals four years ago when they tried to replace the injured Virgil van Dijk stand as a warning against making panic buys.
They signed Ben Davies from Preston for £2million, who didn’t play a single game, and Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke, who looked ill at ease in his few appearances before he was shipped back to Germany. Van Dijk will need replacing soon, even if he signs a new deal to stay, and he is 34 in July and cannot carry on as pillar of Liverpool’s defence forever.
Arne Slot is not convinced by Jarell Quansah and the England defender has gone backwards after his eye-catching breakthrough campaign last season. Joe Gomez is as versatile as a Swiss army knife, but he will only ever be a reliable deputy rather than an automatic starter.
Jarrad Branthwaite appears to tick all the boxes and he is 22 and appears destined to play for England and in the Premier League for the next decade. Left-back is also fast becoming an issue because of Andy Robertson’s struggles.
Robertson turns 31 in March and he is making more errors, such as conceding penalties against Southampton and Real Madrid, and his red card against Fulham for chopping down Harry Wilson. He appears to have lost a yard of his electric pace and can no longer rely on his speed to clear up danger.
Kostas Tsimikas is not good enough to replace him and Liverpool will need a new left-back in the summer. Fulham star Antonee Robinson is a candidate and was excellent at Anfield last month, creating both of the Cottagers’ goals in their 2-2 draw.
But the USA international has three-and-a-half years left on his Cottagers deal and Fulham would want in excess of £50million for him. Bournemouth’s Hungarian Milos Kerkez is another option, but the Reds would face competition from Manchester United, who have also been linked with Robinson.
Liverpool have an advantage over United and sporting director Richard Hughes signed Kerkez from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 for £15.5million when he was at Bournemouth.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s likely free transfer to Real Madrid will create a problem at right-back that Conor Bradley can solve. But the cracks are there and Liverpool will hope they do not open further.
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