Jamie Carragher warns Liverpool winning title depends on one thing

Jamie Carragher has despatched a stark warning to Liverpool and Arne Slot, insisting the Premier League champions are playing with their title defence.

The Anfield legend believes that the“all-or-nothing” pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is a threat that might value Liverpool their Premier League crown.

Carragher admits that whereas Isak would unquestionably strengthen Arne Slot’s squad, Liverpool can’t afford to waste the ultimate days of the switch window banking solely on touchdown the Swede, and has urged the membership to start drawing up a ‘plan B’ instantly.

The reigning champions noticed a club-record £110 million bid rejected by Newcastle earlier within the switch window, and with the Magpies underneath no stress to promote, Carragher fears the Reds are coming into harmful territory.

“Slot won’t defend the crown with solely three out-and-out attackers of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike.

They can’t carry the goalscoring burden with out at the very least yet one more, ideally two, top-class operators throughout the entrance line, particularly as Salah might be on Africa Cup of Nations responsibility in December. Liverpool have to be ruthless. It can’t be ‘Isak or nobody’.”

Carragher additionally hit out at Isak’s stance at Newcastle, branding his “refusal to play” unacceptable and warning that his influence on Tyneside has been “overblown.”

The Swede missed United’s goalless draw with Aston Villa on the opening weekend and has not skilled with Eddie Howe’s squad because the saga started, lacking their pre-season in consequence.

Slot has overseen sweeping modifications in assault this summer time. Luis Díaz departed for Bayern Munich and Darwin Núñez was offered, whereas Diogo Jota’s tragic passing has left a gaping gap in Liverpool’s entrance line. Hugo Ekitike has arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming a member of Salah, Gakpo and Federico Chiesa as recognised senior forwards.

Promising abilities akin to Rio Ngumoha and Jayden Danns will hope for alternatives, however Carragher fears the present depth is nowhere close to sufficient.

Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on the opening evening was encouraging Salah, Gakpo and Ekitike and Chiesa all discovered the online but Carragher stays unconvinced.

Regardless of heavy spending this summer time, Carragher believes the Reds have taken extra away from the assault than they’ve added.

“After Díaz’s exit for Bayern Munich there was an assumption they’d a youthful substitute lined up. However nothing has but come to fruition.”

Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak is additional difficult by Newcastle’s personal struggles. Howe’s aspect need to herald two strikers earlier than entertaining any sale, however a £40 million bid for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa was rejected nearly immediately this week.

Isak, in the meantime, has gone on the offensive. In a bombshell assertion on earlier this week, he accused Newcastle of breaking guarantees — claims swiftly dismissed by the membership — who’ve doubled down on their insistence he won’t be leaving St James’ Park.

Carragher, nevertheless, believes the membership can’t afford to attend indefinitely.

“The membership should settle for that it isn’t going to occur on this switch window if a deal just isn’t struck by early subsequent week.”

Maybe the best concern, in Carragher’s eyes, is Mohamed Salah’s absence later this season. The talisman is predicted to affix Egypt on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which runs deep into the winter months of the marketing campaign.

Salah’s departure might see Slot with out his most dependable supply of objectives for as much as six weeks together with essential Premier League fixtures and doubtlessly the Champions League knockout rounds.

That, Carragher argues, makes reinforcements much more pressing.

“They can’t carry the goalscoring burden with out at the very least yet one more, ideally two, top-class operators.”

For all of Salah’s brilliance, the straightforward reality is that Liverpool’s squad might be stretched to breaking level throughout his worldwide responsibility.

The arrival of Florian Wirtz has offered Liverpool with recent invention in midfield, however Carragher argues the German just isn’t the answer to the evident lack of strikers.

“Wirtz will supply large creativity and has proven that he has an eye fixed for aim, however he’s not the out-and-out attacker Liverpool have so typically relied on,”

Carragher’s evaluation underlines the urgency of the scenario. Liverpool have lengthy been admired for his or her switch acumen, however with the window closing quick and Newcastle digging in with out one other elite ahead, their title defence is already in jeopardy.