Liverpool is currently navigating a challenging period, with all eyes on Arne Slot and how he plans to steer the "Reds" back on track. However, a significant figure from Anfield's history believes he knows what the Dutch manager is missing.
After four consecutive defeats across all competitions (three in the Premier League and one in the Champions League), the English champions finally secured a victory, and they did so in emphatic fashion, with a 5-1 win away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the UCL mid-week.
Despite this, a former player who made history in the "Reds" jersey between 1999 and 2006 believes that Liverpool's problems won't be solved by their dominant success in Germany.
Didi Hamann: "If they don't sign a center-back, they won't win any trophies this season."
The former player in question is Dietmar "Didi" Hamann, the German midfielder who played at Anfield for no less than seven seasons, during which he amassed nine trophies, including a Champions League title (2005 - the "Miracle of Istanbul").
Hamann issued a warning, stating that Arne Slot's side will continue to struggle significantly. He believes the only solution for the team to recover is to acquire a central defender during the winter transfer window. Otherwise, Hamann is convinced Liverpool has no chance of winning any trophies this season.
Liverpool desperately needs to sign a center-back in January. The defensive department is where the biggest problems lie, especially in the central positions. You can't rely solely on Van Dijk, and Konate is an uncertainty (editor's note - he might leave in January, being in the final months of his contract, with an extension seeming unlikely). Leoni is injured, and Gomez isn't at the level he was a few years ago. Marc Guehi could be an option, but that heavily depends on Crystal Palace. I don't know if they'll be willing to let him go. In any case, the situation is extremely delicate. If they don't strengthen their defense, they have no chance of winning anything this season. - Didi Hamann, in an interview for Esports News
However, the transfer of Guehi is a sensitive topic for Liverpool. In the summer, the English defender was on the verge of moving to Anfield, but the transfer fell through at the last minute because Palace couldn't find a suitable replacement for him.
Most likely, the "Reds" will reopen negotiations with officials from Selhurst Park in January, but by then, the race for Guehi's signature will be much tougher, as numerous top teams in England and beyond are tracking the 25-year-old defender.
Furthermore, according to reports in the British press, the Palace defender has informed his agents that his priority would be a move to Santiago Bernabeu.