Jamie Carragher says Liverpool need THREE midfielders and £200million transfer splurge as Danny Murphy warns Reds’ mentality will cost them top four finish

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool need to ‘go big’ and by signing THREE new midfielders and spend up to £200million.

The Reds were dealt a huge blow in their top-four pursuit as they lost 3-1 to Brentford in what was a lacklustre performance at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Liverpool can have no complaints about losing having been a long way off their best – Virgil van Dijk was taken off at half time, although Jurgen Klopp suggested the Dutchman had a hamstring problem.

Carragher admits Van Dijk wasn’t at his best but believes Liverpool’s midfield shortages made his performance appear worse.

“They’ve got a lot of players who are either in their 30s or coming into their 30s,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why I think the ownership of the club are either putting it up for sale or looking for investment because they’re going to need to go big in the summer.

“You think of what Chelsea and Manchester United spend in the summer and they’re not close to winning the title, so it shows you the sort of funds that you need just to compete at the top of the league.

“Liverpool year in, year out have sort of sold someone, bought someone but I think this is a case of Liverpool needing to spend about £200million.

“Liverpool need to sign three midfield players I would say, not necessarily all to play but Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all out of contract, so is James Milner. The age of Thiago Alcantara, who’s injured quite a lot, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho…

“I think Liverpool need three midfield players and when you’re talking about real quality you’re talking at least £40-50million, those type of players.”

“People keep talking about Jude Bellingham, and rightly so… but if Liverpool don’t get top four that will be a problem. But for me, which I think is as important as a Bellingham-type midfielder, would be a Georginio Wijnaldum-type.

“A type of player, who alongside Fabinho, could just protect that back four and stop players running through towards that defence.

“We talk about Virgil van Dijk being one of the best centre-backs in the world in the last five years but this season isn’t at his best. He wasn’t at his best today but you know what it tells me? I don’t think he’s a different player, no matter how good you are as a defender, if you haven’t got protection in front of you, it’s very, very difficult.

“Franco Baresi is the best defender I think I’ve seen in my life but he had an unbelievable midfield, Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Rijkaard, doing jobs in front of him… if you don’t get protection, you’ve got no chance.”

The result leaves Klopp’s men four points off fourth-placed Manchester United, and the Red Devils have a game in hand on Liverpool.

Former Red Danny Murphy fears Liverpool will lose out on a top-four place if they don’t change their mentality soon, but doesn’t subscribe to former teammate Carragher’s views that eye-watering investment in the squad is required.

“The midfield doesn’t have the same dynamism as they’ve had in the past – that energy and athleticism doesn’t seem to be there,” Murphy said on commentary for talkSPORT.

“They can’t just rely on Jordan Henderson. Other players have got to step up to the fore in every aspect of their play.

“They’ve still got time to put this right but they cannot expect to get in the top four if you start games with that mentality like they did. You’ve got to do your job, sticking to your man in set plays is not that difficult.

“I’m not on this bandwagon that they need lots of new midfielders. You need a change of mindset to get back to that hungry, tenacious Liverpool side that was two games away from greatness, four trophies last season.

“I think they’ve had so much success and for so long that too many of them at the same time have become a bit complacent.

“There’s a comfort zone in some of their performances, ‘I’m not going to get dropped.’”