Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson says the club should consider signing Declan Rice or Nico Barella instead of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
The Reds are believed to be lining up a move for the 19-year-old next summer, with Dortmund unwilling to sell this time around having already lost star striker to since the end of the season.
With the likes of Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner all in their mid-to-late thirties, the Reds will need to replenish their stock of midfielders sooner or later, especially with doubts over the futures of the likes of and Naby Keita.
held an interest in signing French 21-year-old Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, but Real Madrid eventually secured his signature by agreeing to pay a fee of around £85m to AS Monaco.
For Johnson, if Liverpool are going to enter the market for a new midfielder, West ham United captain Rice should be at the top of their shopping list.
‘Right now I’d go for ,’ Johnson told . ‘In a couple of year’s time, Jordan Henderson could do what has done and leave, I think that Declan would fit that role perfectly.’
Johnson, who won the Carabao Cup with Liverpool during a six-year spell at Anfield, also believes that Inter Milan’s Italian international Nico Barella could fit into the Reds’ squad well.
‘I do think he would be a good addition. To score goals and grab assists isn’t easy, despite the fact he hasn’t done it in the Premier League.
‘When somebody’s technically very good and can either score or assist a goal regularly, then you don’t expect them to struggle. The more players on the pitch that can help contribute towards a goal is good for the squad.’
Liverpool have already brought in Fulham’s Fabio Carvalho and Benfica’s Darwin Nunez this summer, and are widely expected to have already completed their incoming transfer business.
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