Liverpool’s French international defender Ibrahima Konate has called on the club’s owners to make at least four signings this summer.
The 24-year-old centre-back believes the Reds will struggle next season if they do not replace the departing Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.
Argentina international midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has already arrived from Brighton for an initial £35million. But Konate believes Liverpool need to make at least three more quality signings to replace those who have departed, otherwise he believes Jurgen Klopp’s squad would be left “understaffed”.
Konate told RMC Sport: “I think the coach and those in charge of recruitment know that we need new players. I believe we have four players leaving this season: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, James Milner and Firmino.
“We have to replace them. If we don’t replace them, what do we do? Are we understaffed and lacking in quality? We cannot play with young people at this level.”
Liverpool had a disastrous campaign last season, finishing outside the Champions League qualification places for the first time since the 2015–16 season despite a fine run of form towards the end of the season.
Konate was encouraged by the Reds form at the end of the season, where they won seven of their last nine league games, but he admits that their slow start to the campaign was the reason for them missing out on next season’s Champions League.
He added: “We had quite a complicated start to the season. After that, as we saw over the last two months, we were under a certain amount of pressure and we really remobilised.
Although the towering French defender believes that it is essential that the team strengthens in key areas ahead of next season, he is confident that the recruitment team will deliver.
“I think the coach and those in charge of recruitment know that we need new players.”
I hope his faith is not misplaced, because if the club wants to retain the services of top players like Konate, Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, missing out on Champions League football is something that simply cannot happen again.
