Jamie Carragher says Liverpool need THREE midfielders and £200m transfer spree as Danny Murphy warns Reds mentality will cost them top four

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool need to ‘go big’ and by signing THREE new midfielders and spending up to £200m.

The Reds received a blow in their pursuit of the top four as they lost 3-1 to Brentford in a lackluster performance at Gtech Community Stadium.

Liverpool can’t complain about losing after being far from their best – Virgil van Dijk was taken off at half-time, although Jurgen Klopp suggested the Dutchman had a hamstring problem.

Carragher admits Van Dijk wasn’t at his best but believes Liverpool’s midfield shortages made his performance look worse.

“They have a lot of players who are either in their 30s or in their 30s,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“I think that’s one of the reasons I think the owners of the club are putting it up for sale or looking for investment because they’re going to have to get big this summer.

“You think about what Chelsea and Manchester United are spending this summer and they’re not close to winning the title, so that shows you the kind of funds you need just to compete at the top of the league.

“Liverpool, year after year, has kind of sold somebody, bought somebody, but I think that’s a case where Liverpool have to spend around £200m.

“Liverpool need to sign three midfield players, I would say, not necessarily all of them to play, but Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all out of contract, as is James Milner. The age of Thiago Alcantara, who is injured a lot, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho…

“I think Liverpool need three midfield players and when you talk about real quality you’re talking about at least £40-50m, those type of players.”

“People keep talking about Jude Bellingham, and rightly so… but if Liverpool don’t make the top four it will be a problem. But for me, who I think is as important as a Bellingham type midfielder, it would be a Georginio Wijnaldum type.

“A type of player, who alongside Fabinho, could just protect that back four and prevent players from heading into that defence.

“We talk about Virgil van Dijk as one of the best centre-backs in the world for the last five years but this season is not at his best. He was not at his best today but you know what I don’t think it’s a different player, no matter how good you are as a defender, if you don’t have protection in front of you, it’s very, very difficult.

“Franco Baresi is the best defender I think I’ve seen in my life, but he had an amazing midfielder, Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Rijkaard, working in front of him…if you don’t get protection you don’t you have no chance.”

The result leaves Klopp’s men four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and the Red Devils one game short of Liverpool.

Ex-Red Danny Murphy fears Liverpool could lose a top-four spot if they don’t change their mindset soon, but disagrees with former team-mate Carragher’s view that a tempting investment in the squad is necessary.

“The midfield doesn’t have the same drive it has in the past – that energy and athleticism doesn’t seem to be there,” Murphy said in commentary for talkSPORT.

“They can’t just rely on Jordan Henderson. Other players must come forward in all aspects of their game.

“They still have time to fix that, but they can’t expect to get into the top four if you start games with that mentality like they did. You have to do your job, sticking to your man in set plays isn’t that hard.

“I’m not on this bandwagon that they need a lot of new midfielders. You need a change of mindset to get back to that hungry, tenacious Liverpool side that was two games away from greatness, four trophies last season.

“I think they’ve been so successful and for so long that too many of them at the same time have become a bit complacent.

“There’s a comfort zone in some of their performances, ‘I’m not going to get dumped.'”