According to British media, former Liverpool player Sturridge has questioned the club's transfer activity, believing there are obvious gaps in midfield.

Former Liverpool player Daniel Sturridge has questioned why the club didn't sign midfielder Mamisou Sangaré this summer, who joined Brentford for a relatively modest transfer fee. Following the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Liverpool's current squad structure has revealed serious problems. This summer, Liverpool changed managers, with Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot, but in their opening away match against Newcastle United, the team was still plagued by many familiar issues.

The match took place at St. James' Park, and Liverpool conceded a goal minutes after kick-off from a counter-attack. Gravenberch lost possession on the edge of Newcastle's box, and the home side broke quickly from defense to attack, piercing Liverpool's backline and eventually scoring through Anthony Elanga. Shortly after halftime, Gakpo equalized for Liverpool, but Newcastle quickly retook the lead. Iraola's side once again exposed vulnerabilities in transitions, with substitute Joseph Willock scoring this time.

In stoppage time, Liverpool avoided defeat thanks to a favorable penalty decision. Harvey Elliott was fouled in the box by Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, and Dominik Szoboszlai calmly converted the penalty. However, in Sturridge's view, this result cannot mask the underlying problems. The former Liverpool player pointed out that the lack of control in midfield is the most concerning aspect and questioned why the club allowed suitable candidates to move to other teams for reasonable transfer fees.

Sturridge said on Sky Sports' post-match show: "Personally, I think the team needs a defensive midfielder. For the last three years, we've been talking about Liverpool needing a defensive midfielder. Then Gravenberch arrived and helped the team win the league, and the team's thinking changed accordingly."

"But if you carefully analyze the midfield setup, you'll see they're all naturally more attacking-minded. For example, Brentford signed Mamisou Sangaré."

"His statistics are very impressive. He's third in interceptions, third in tackles, and third in ball recoveries. In my opinion, a transfer fee of £39 million, or around $52 million, is not expensive for a club like Liverpool."

"I'm not saying he's definitely the solution, but these statistics are very telling. Liverpool don't have that type of player right now. I like Trey Nyoni a lot, but he's more of a number 8 who plays the ball forward."

"He's not a defensive midfielder who can press opponents like Sangaré, or be a threat the way N'Golo Kanté has been over the years. Honestly, I also think Szoboszlai is better suited to playing as a number 10."

Although Curtis Jones left for Inter Milan in the final week of the transfer window, Liverpool didn't appear to prioritize strengthening midfield. The club seems more interested in reinforcing the attack, with forwards like Luis Díaz, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Yankuba Minteh being linked with moves to Anfield.

Traduzido por IA.

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