ONLY three Liverpool players would break into Manchester City’s Premier League winning team.
That is according to former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore.
Liverpool are enjoying an impressive end to the season with a Champions League semi-final to come later this month and a fight with Manchester United for second place behind City.
Much of Liverpool’s improvement in 2018 has stemmed from the arrival of Virgil van Dijk in January for £75million to strengthen a porous defence.
While Andy Robertson has emerged as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah has scored a stunning 40 goals for Liverpool in all competitions.
And Collymore feels that trio have what it takes to play for City.
Collymore told the Daily Mirror: “I’m not getting too carried away with the idea that Liverpool will be Manchester City’s main rivals for the Premier League crown next season.
“They might have beaten them three times this term and that Champions League quarter-final might still be fresh in the memory but, by my reckoning, only three Liverpool players get into City’s starting line-up: Van Dijk, Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.
“And I include Robertson only because City’s Benjamin Mendy has been out injured.
“That shows how far they still have to go.”
Collymore then claimed Liverpool still need investment in a number of areas if they want to mount a challenge for honours next season.
He said: “This season Liverpool have been near-perfect up front, easily a nine out of 10. In midfield it has been seven out of 10, with room for a dominant new addition – hopefully, Naby Keita will be that man.
“At the back, they have been a six overall and an eight in recent weeks and, even though Dejan Lovren has stepped up to the plate, I’d like to see at least one more central defender of Van Dijk’s quality brought in.
“Someone who’d purr like a Rolls-Royce alongside the Dutchman, the way Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic did together for so many years at Old Trafford.
“And I don’t care what anyone says, Liverpool need a new keeper as well. Another right-back, too, because Trent Alexander-Arnold is still young and Nathaniel Clyne has been a bit hit-and-miss.”
Source:www.express.co.uk