Steve Nicol names Liverpool player who needs upgrading in fresh transfer priority for Arne Slot

Liverpool might need to be active in the summer transfer market again, with Arne Slot's side playing catch-up in the Premier League this season despite spending big

Former Liverpool star Steve Nicol.(Image: ESPN FC // YouTube)

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has urged the Reds to sign a new midfielder in the summer, to ensure that Arne Slot's first choice three are pushed to reach their best levels more often.

Curtis Jones has been in good form lately and he played well enough against Burnley on Saturday. But Nicol is not convinced that he is at the level required to push those ahead of him in the pecking order hard enough for a starting place.

"I think if they brought a real midfielder in as well, I don’t think Curtis Jones is a starter in Liverpool’s best XI," the pundit told ESPN FC after the draw with Burnley.

"I don’t have anybody at the top of my head but [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Alexis] Mac Allister, [Ryan] Gravenberch, no question, were fantastic last year, but it hasn’t quite worked this year for whatever reason.

"I think they need somebody who’s going to really shove one of them out to get them back to where they were, and I don’t think Curtis Jones does that."

Elsewhere, Liverpool is lacking in numbers in its defense, with Ibrahima Konate set to be out of contract in the summer as things stand.

Curtis Jones of Liverpool with the ball during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match Liverpool vs Barnsley at Anfield, Liverpool(Image: Alfie Cosgrove/News Images)

Virgil van Dijk will be down to the final 12 months of his deal by then too, while Joe Gomez is prone to muscle issues, and Giovanni Leoni has only played once and will have missed a full season with an ACL injury.

"Center-back’s pretty much the obvious one — they could probably do with two, never mind one," Nicol said.

"I would say a central midfielder and I think they need somebody in the wide areas, because obviously Mo’s [Salah] going to go somewhere and Cody Gakpo’s becoming a little predictable, so I would look for a wide attacking forward."

Having sold Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich in the summer, Liverpool didn't bring in a replacement. So far this season, Rio Ngumoha has not featured as much as some predicted he might.

"I think everyone is aligned about the challenges we are facing," Arne Slot told reporters on Friday when quizzed on potential transfer activity this month.

"That’s not to say that we’re going to act, but everyone is aligned on what we are facing. There is no one that has a different opinion about it. But that’s not to say that anything is going to happen."

Liverpool.com says: Three quality options coming in during the summer should be the aim. Adding a new center-back and then upgrading on Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa would make a huge difference.