The Reds legend is not convinced that top talent can be acquired during the January window, especially one that catches the interest of his competition.
Dayot Upamecano would be “a nice signing for Liverpool” admits John Barnes, but the Reds legend is not convinced the RB Leipzig defender can be acquired in January or that rival interest can be pushed back.
Jurgen Klopp continues to reflect on his options for defensive reinforcements at Anfield.
With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip taking spells on the sidelines, the reigning Premier League champions have been called upon to take cover.
Various goals were raised, with French international Upamecano being joined on this list by Kalidou Koulibaly, David Alaba and Ben White.
No proven performer will be cheap in the winter window, while top talent will attract admiring glances from outside Anfield.
Barnes admits that these issues are a problem for Klopp, with the possibility that he will have to fend for himself until the senior stars retire from the treatment table.
The legend of the Reds told BonusCodeBets: “All the top teams are watching him (Upamecano), and the reason is that he’s one of the best center-backs in the world.
“It would have been better if he had been available now in January, because at the end of the season we might not need a center-back or have the problems we have now.
“If we sign a center-back now for a short period, then we will have another center-back, alongside all the others who will be available next season.
“I think if a top player becomes available any team will look at him, not just Liverpool. It’s the same with Koulibaly in Napoli, he is also wanted by many other clubs.
“But yes, Upamecano would be a great signing for Liverpool. He is young, very talented and the right player profile that we should be looking at.
“It would be a good signing if we could have him of course, because there will be many other teams after him as well.
For now, Liverpool are focused on a tough clash with former Manchester United opponents – the Red Devils ahead on Sunday at Old Trafford.
Klopp will have a number of players unavailable for this contest, but Spain playmaker Thiago Alcantara is back in great shape and Barnes believes he can be a game-changer for the Reds against good opposition.
He added of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder: “It’s not a new way of playing for Liverpool just because they brought in Thiago, last season they dominated every game of the league with possession. Except maybe when they played against Manchester City as they took the lion’s share of the ball.
“It didn’t surprise me to see him involved against Aston Villa because these are the games where you have 70 or 80% possession. These games are made for Thiago.
“When you play against teams that are going to try to have as much possession as Liverpool, you might need a more defensive midfielder in midfield. The tastes of [James] Milner, [Jordan] Henderson, [Georginio] Wijnaldum etc. These are the kind of games that Thiago might not play.
“You can watch the games well, who they’re playing against, if they feel like they’re going to be in dominance and if it’s a sensible decision to play it.
“I’ve always said it from the start of the season it didn’t surprise me when it came against Chelsea and they were down to 10 men, Liverpool knew they were going to dominate possession and he’s so efficient when he just dictated the game.
“He’s a fantastic player and gives Liverpool the opportunity to play differently with their creativity in midfield, especially when teams are defending deep in numbers and they are in tight spaces.
“He’s our best midfielder, but not all games will be like this. If it’s an open game, where you need a stronger runner like Wijnaldum or Henderson to move forward without the ball because there is a lot of space, maybe you don’t play it.
