Carragher hits back at Klopp over Liverpool transfer comments
Jamie Carragher has hit back at Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool boss called him out for criticising the club’s transfer business.
Virgil van Dijk will miss several months with a knee injury following Jordan Pickford’s reckless challenge during the Merseyside derby on Saturday.
That leaves Klopp with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip as the main two centre-backs with midfielder Fabinho available to fill in as cover.
GOSSIP: Seven names for new Van Dijk at Liverpool
Carragher hinted that Liverpool could’ve done with bringing in another defender on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football and Klopp was unhappy with those comments.
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“We went into the season with three centre backs plus Fabinho as cover and some youngsters,” Klopp said in his press conference ahead of their Champions League clash against Ajax on Wednesday.
“It’s hard to have four world-class centre halves.
“If anyone wants to tell us we made a mistake – I think Carragher mentioned already – there are a few reasons why they don’t do this job.”
However, Carragher hit back by tweeting: “Not once this season have I said it was a mistake for Klopp not to buy a centre-back for the exact reason he states.”
Speaking on Monday Night Football earlier in the week, Carragher said: “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.
“There are question marks now about Joe Gomez. So there is no doubt that Liverpool had to go big in the transfer market.”
On whether Liverpool can win the title without Van Dijk, Carragher added: “History says no.
“What I mean by that is when I went back to the mid 80s, I went through champions who tried to retain titles, I went back to huge figures like Virgil van Dijk.
“Everton in 1986 lost Southall to injury, Liverpool won. In 1988 – Alan Hansen, who was the Virgil van Dijk of that time, got injured in pre-season, Arsenal won league. Cantona missed half a season with his incident, Blackburn win the title. Laporte misses part of season. Man City lose the league.
“I think if van Dijk is fit for the whole season Liverpool win the league. Now without him it massively opens it up. The loss of van Dijk speaks for itself.
“We are talking about the best player and the most valuable player in the Premier League. The reason van Dijk was most valuable, I would say De Bruyne but he does get injured, but van Dijk was because he never missed a game.”