Graeme Souness has warned Liverpool they must invest this summer if they don’t want to be left behind by their Champions League rivals and believes centre back remains the key area where the Reds need to strengthen.
Souness is a Liverpool legend, having been a crucial part of their success in the 1970s and 1980s, and also managed the club for three years in the early 1990s, which included claiming the FA Cup in 1992.
Now the former Rangers and Galatasaray boss is a respected pundit on Sky Sports and he believes the club need to invest in the summer or run the risk of being left behind.
Liverpool failed to retain their Premier League crown this season as they struggled for injuries in defence.
Star centre back Virgil van Dijk, England international Joe Gomez and experienced Cameroon defender Joel Matip have all missed large chunks of the season through injury.
And although the trio are set to return next season, Souness insists Liverpool still need to sign an experienced centre half.
The Scot also believes the Reds need to strengthen in midfield, with Georginio Wijnaldum set to depart and others like Naby Keita struggling for form.
Souness told Sky Sports: “I think that will be one [centre-back]. I think in midfield, Wijnaldum is going. I think there’s several players that have arrived recently in midfield that have not lived up to expectations.
“The priority would be another experienced centre-half. When you take Fabinho out of the midfield they lose something.
“But I think overall, if Liverpool don’t strengthen, they will be the only team in the Champions League not to. They’ve got to strengthen. If you’re not strengthening you’re standing still in this game.
“So I fully expect Liverpool to buy this summer, more than one.”
Wijnaldum has long been expected to depart Anfield this year and both the midfielder and his manager appeared to confirm that would be the case on Sunday.
Wijnaldum is out of contract this summer and has reportedly held talks with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
And speaking after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace , Wijnaldum told Sky Sports: "I'm fighting against tears right now. The people in Liverpool have shown me love during the five years. I will miss them, you know.”
He continued: "I will miss it. I hoped to play for many more years for the club, but unfortunately things were different. Everybody knows in football that anything can happen.
"The situation as it is right now is that on July 1 I'm not a Liverpool player any more, so it looks like now it is my last game, but as I say, in football anything can happen.
"We will see, but what I'll do in the next couple of weeks is I'll rest a little bit, and then I'll go to the national team.
"And I'll have to look at how I'll do my story [about his situation] because I think the fans deserve to know the rest of the story behind it and then we'll see from there.”
