Jamie Carragher backs Liverpool to go and sign Leipzig player in January | OneFootball

Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has urged the club to sign Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano in the January transfer window.

Carragher says that Liverpool need to address their centre-back situation and has backed the club to go into the market for one, saying that they should pay the money for Upamecano on the first day of January.

This comes after the news that Virgil van Dijk could be out for the rest of the season. The Dutchman suffered an ACL injury in the 2-2 draw with Everton after a collision with Jordan Pickford.

Speaking on Monday Night Football, as later transcribed by Sky Sports, Carragher offered his thoughts on what Liverpool should do in the next window. “Liverpool’s next big signing had to be a centre-back anyway and I am talking next summer.

“Dejan Lovren went and they didn’t replace him so they only have three centre-backs and one of those, Joel Matip, is always injured.

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“There is a young man everyone was talking about at Leipzig, Dayot Upamecano, there is talk of him. Whether he has the profile of Van Dijk, I think he is only 6’1″ or 6’2”, so he is maybe not that aerial, but if he is the one they wanted, then bring it forward.

“Pay extra money and do it on January 1st.”

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Would Upamecano be a good signing for Liverpool? On the evidence of the last 18 months or so, the answer could very well be yes.

Joe Gomez has struggled this season in the Premier League for Liverpool, with a WhoScored rating of 6.42 in four appearances. Last term, he scored 6.78 in 28 games as Liverpool won the Premier League title ahead of Manchester City. This shows that he has regressed this season so far and not been able to match up to his form from the title winning season.

Upamecano, on the other hand, has been in impressive form. He scored 7.06 across 28 Bundesliga games in the 2019/20 campaign and is currently on 6.99 after four matches this season, showing that he has remained fairly consistent over the last 18 months. The Frenchman is putting in top-quality performances and that is coming across with his ratings for Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

This suggests that Carragher could be right and Liverpool could benefit from going all out to sign Upamecano in the January window. The defender could improve Liverpool’s defence, which could positively influence their chances of retaining the Premier League title.