Graeme Souness Warns Jurgen Klopp Over Midfield Risk Following Busy Summer Window

Former Liverpool star Graeme Souness has revealed his concerns over Jurgen Klopp's drastic changes to the Reds' midfield during the summer transfer window, insisting his new signings must be brought in amongst an air of caution. 

Liverpool have already snapped up Naby Keita from RB Leipzig and Monaco's Fabinho ahead of their season opener with West Ham United on Sunday. 

The German would have had another to contend for a place in his starting XI had Nabil Fekir's move to Anfield not broken down at the 11th hour, clearly indicating his unhappiness with the options he had at his disposal within the squad last term. 

However, within his column in The Times, former Liverpool midfielder Souness suggested the Reds boss must be careful while making wholesale changes, and that, potentially, such drastic action could have been avoided by utilising those already at the club. 

"I find it really interesting that Jurgen Klopp has bought two midfielders, Naby Keita and Fabinho, and also tried to sign a third — Nabil Fekir," he wrote. "That tells you he’s not happy with his midfield unit and feels he can get more quality in there.

"That is something that he will have to man-manage carefully because Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner and Jordan Henderson are all really solid sorts.

"He maybe feels they haven’t got enough goals or killer passes in their armoury and is swapping their endeavour and energy for a bit more class, but will he get the same energy and intensity to win the ball back? 

"It will be a far more physically demanding league than the ones they are coming from."

Both Milner and Wijnaldum have enjoyed impressive pre-seasons during the build-up to Liverpool's 2018-19 campaign, and following Henderson's outstanding showing at the World Cup for England during the summer, there will be serious competition for places when the opening fixture comes around in seven days' time.