Keane predicts top four heartache for Liverpool, as Carragher names ‘massive’ issue and reacts to Zubimendi blow

Roy Keane thinks Liverpool will miss out on the Premier League’s top four during their first season under Arne Slot, while Jamie Carragher has discussed a problem which needs solving and also called the Martin Zubimendi transfer miss ‘not a great look’.

During Jurgen Klopp’s last season at Anfield, Liverpool won the League Cup, finished third in the Premier League and reached the last eight of both the FA Cup and Europa League. Klopp announced in January that it would be his final season in charge, and he then left over the summer.

Slot has come in to replace the German, and Liverpool fans are excited about the new era. Slot helped Feyenoord win the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup, despite operating on a relatively small budget, while he also excels at getting the best out of wingers, which should bode well for the likes of Luis Diaz and Mo Salah.

Although, some Liverpool fans will be concerned about the lack of transfer activity. Sporting director Richard Hughes had hoped to make Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi the first signing of the Slot era, but the midfielder has instead opted to stay with his current side.

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An ambitious last-ditch attempt to sign Zubimendi will likely fail, too.

During an appearance on the Stick to Football podcast, former Manchester United captain Keane was asked if Liverpool will fail to make it into the top four this campaign. He replied: “Yes I think so, unless they get a couple of signings in the next few weeks.”

Liverpool hero and fellow pundit Carragher then gave his verdict on his former club. Carragher admitted that the No 6 problem at Liverpool is a hole which ‘needs filling massively’.

“I don’t think they [Liverpool] will tank, no,” he added. “I think Liverpool overachieved last season in terms of being in the title race for so long, I don’t think anybody really expected that. And if Liverpool had a similar sort of season, I’d be delighted.

Liverpool latest: Keane, Carragher provide verdicts

“It remains to be seen, sometimes new manager, fresh voice and I know what you are thinking, David Moyes comes in after [Sir Alex] Ferguson, or Unai Emery after Arsene Wenger, there’s going to be a huge shift, there’s no doubt about that.

“But the pre-season has gone pretty well, you know beating Manchester United, beating Arsenal, good result against Sevilla.

“But there is a hole in midfield that needs filling massively. And even when Zubimendi was talked about coming in, I was actually still thinking, ‘is he too similar to [Alexis] Mac Allister?’. You can imagine them two in midfield, great footballers, but is there enough aggression, is there enough pace?”

Carragher went on to discuss Liverpool failing to land Zubimendi in more detail.

“I think it was going quite well until the news that we got in the last twenty-four hours that the signing the manager wanted, almost like his guy, Zubimendi from Real Sociedad has fallen through,” he continued.

“Reading between the lines in terms of reading journalists reports this morning, who obviously get fed information by the club of course, that he had a buy-out clause for £51million I think, and he said he would come.

“Liverpool then go to do the deal and I think the club put a lot of pressure on him to stay.

“It wasn’t just a buy-out clause where Liverpool go and pay it, I was reading about it, the player has to almost do it. It was a bit complicated, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded for Liverpool.

Transfer setback ‘not a great look’ – Carragher

“But to be honest it’s not a great look for Liverpool.

“They’ve gone for this sitting midfield player, who is a different type of sitting midfield player to what Jurgen Klopp would have gone for, he went for Fabinho, this guy was obviously more of a footballer, technical player.

“But a lot has been made of Liverpool bringing the old regime back, in terms of getting deals done and transfers done – and it was always made out that we’re the best in the class, we’re the best in the business, and listen they did a great job.

“But to not get the first deal done for the new manager, the optics are not great, it doesn’t look good at all, and it’s a position Liverpool have been looking for, for probably three seasons.

“They tried to buy [Aurelien] Tchouameni who went to Real Madrid, they obviously lost [Moises] Caicedo, [Romeo] Lavia, and now they’ve lost this player.”

Carragher also spoke about Liverpool deciding against the capture of a new Man Utd arrival, and a player Slot is hoping to push out of Anfield.

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