Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool’s top priority next summer must be recruiting the right kind of central midfielder – though he reckons they’ve already let the perfect candidate slip through their fingers in Declan Rice. The Merseyside club have experienced a dramatic decline this campaign following their Premier League triumph in Arne Slot’s debut season in charge. Sitting sixth in the table, a staggering 14 points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, their hopes of defending the title look virtually impossible.

A string of disappointing results and underwhelming displays have sparked intense debate surrounding Slot’s future, whilst also raising serious questions about the club’s summer recruitment strategy after splashing out more than £450million on fresh talent, including substantial deals exceeding £100million for both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. According to Carragher, Liverpool’s most pressing requirement in the upcoming summer window is securing a midfielder who can complement their existing personnel.

He points to Rice, who has elevated his performances to remarkable levels since his £105million switch to Arsenal two-and-a-half years ago, as the ideal template to replicate. Speaking to The Athletic, Carragher said: “Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister are really good players, but it ends up with two or three players who do not have great physicality in there.

“The one who stands out every time I watch him play is Declan Rice. What a player, honest to god. That’s exactly what Liverpool need. For me, he is the modern-day Roy Keane. I don’t think he’s a Stevie Gerrard, because Stevie was more attacking.

“Roy did a bit of everything; press high, get the ball off the back four, everything. Declan has the set pieces, too. I actually don’t think we still give him enough praise. It always feels like there’s a but with him. His passing is fantastic. No one can run past him. His set-piece delivery is as good as anything in European football.”

Carragher continued to express his disappointment over Liverpool’s failure to attempt to sign Rice during the summer of 2023; a period when the Reds were anticipated to overhaul their midfield following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

“Why Liverpool didn’t go for him,” he added. “My argument at the time was you buy one player [Rice] to replace two, because he could do both the Fabinho role and also the Henderson one, pressing high, as he shows for Arsenal. Oh god, I’d have loved to have got him in a Liverpool shirt.

“For me, he’s Player of the Year this year, especially if Arsenal win the league. Then he will get the real love he deserves, and hopefully he will go and have a great World Cup, too.”