Glen Johnson has advised Liverpool to change their transfer policy this summer in order to land one of Manchester United’s primary targets.
Jurgen Klopp’s side enjoyed a stellar season, scooping a domestic cup double, but missed out on the Premier League and Champions League by the narrowest of margins.
Klopp has already added to his squad this summer with the signing of exciting teenage forward Fabio Carvalho from Fulham, while Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay is set to join in a £4million deal.
If Liverpool are to overhaul Manchester City, who have already secured the signing of Erling Haaland, however, then Johnson believes his former club will need to alter their spending habits.
Aside from the purchases of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, who were bought for record fees, Liverpool have spent relatively modestly in recent years compared to their major rivals.
With Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah potentially both departing within the next 12 months, Johnson feels Liverpool will be lucky to find suitable replacements for bargain prices.
Liverpool have been linked with Benfica striker Darwin Nunez and Johnson believes it would be well worth spending £100million on the Uruguay international who would almost certainly prefer a move to Anfield over Manchester United who are also interested in the 22-year-old.
‘You’d think Nunez would head to Anfield if it’s between Liverpool and Manchester United,’ Johnson told BettingOdds.com.
‘As we know, Manchester United don’t have the same pulling power they once did. There was a time when Manchester United came calling then the answer was ‘yes’.
‘That’s not the case at the moment, so if Liverpool and Manchester United are going head to head for him then I’m sure he’d pick Liverpool over United.
‘If Liverpool are to pay the £100 million that Benfica supposedly want for him, then that’s against their structure and the way they do business, but that’s the way the game is going. If they don’t start opening up to that, then others will capitalise on that.
‘I do like the way Liverpool do their business, but they need to be a bit flexible with it because the other big guns will be willing to pay it, whether it’s against their protocols or not.’
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