Liverpool will make additions to their defence and also offload some fringe players this summer, according to the Times‘ Paul Joyce.
The Reds have had a season to forget after their Premier League title triumph, sitting sixth in the table currently.
Jurgen Klopp has had to make do with endless injury problems, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all out for the rest of the campaign.
Joyce says that Liverpool will make ‘defensive reinforcements’ in the summer transfer window, with Gomez and Matip‘s respective fitness records potentially playing a part in that.
It is also reported that there are ‘likely to be some departures’, although the individuals in question aren’t specified.
Read Liverpool Verdict
The article is focused on the future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who could be one of those to move on.
In fairness, it is stated that the 27-year-old may not want a step down in his career, but he is now arguably eighth in the midfield pecking order, behind Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and James Milner.
As for defensive additions, somebody needs to come in who can be relied upon every week, both in terms of fitness and consistency.
Van Dijk and Gomez should arguably still be Liverpool’s first-choice centre-back pairing next season, but more competition is needed, especially with Matip in and out of the side so often, and Ozan Kabak only on loan at the moment.
