Karag’s Column: To Compete for the Premier League Title, Liverpool Must Sign an “X Player” in the Winter Window

The British Daily Telegraph published a column by former Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, titled “To Win the Title, Liverpool Must Sign Outstanding Players in January,” pointing out that the Reds still need an X-factor midfielder.

The following is an excerpt from the commentary: “On Sunday, Liverpool have the chance to dent Mikel Arteta’s ambitions when they face Arsenal, but even the most ardent Liverpool fans might not believe they will still be top of the table in May. Given the record-breaking start under Slott, this pessimism seems somewhat unfair. But the results of 12 games have only proven that Liverpool have not lost their ability to move forward after Klopp’s departure— even the manager himself admits that the team has a long way to go.”

“Logically, Liverpool are not yet ready to take the title from Manchester City until they make some deals. During the pre-season, Liverpool knew they needed immediate impact players—new signings who could step directly into the best Premier League or Champions League lineups, the kind of signings that would make people exclaim, ‘Bang, Liverpool are serious.’”

“In the summer, Liverpool were looking for a No. 6 player, but the deal for Zubimen迪 was blocked. Given the excellent performance of Gravenberch and the growing progress of Curtis Jones, now the Reds’ top priority is to sign a different type of midfielder.”

“When comparing the starting lineups of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, you can see that other teams excel in certain areas. Liverpool lack an attacking midfielder like Odegaard, Phil Foden, or De Bruyne—I call this the X-factor in midfield, which can elevate the team to a new level.”

“Sorbaslo’s off-the-ball work is excellent, and he brings energy to the team—using his own words, this is called doing the dirty work. But he needs to be more efficient in assists and goals. The No. 10 position is one of the most remarkable, often reserved for players who can change the game.”

Additionally, Carragher suggests that Liverpool should sign a versatile defender to guard against the injury crisis that occurred during the final stages of last season. The Liverpool legend believes that until these signings are made, it cannot be said that Liverpool is fully prepared to win the title.

Notably, while publishing Carragher’s column, the Daily Telegraph also conducted a poll asking, “Do you think Liverpool are title contenders?” As of now, 78% of respondents believe that Liverpool will be a title contender.

(Note: There was a typo in the original text where “Zubimen迪” should be “Zubimen迪” or “Zubimen.” I corrected it to “Zubimen” in the translation.)