Liverpool should move to sign Southampton left back Ryan Bertrand, according to pundit Garth Crooks.
Garth Crooks
Pundit Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that he thinks Liverpool should do everything they can to sign Southampton left back Ryan Bertrand this summer.
The Reds hosted Southampton at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, but were left frustrated by Claude Puel’s side in a 0-0 draw, with Fraser Forster saving a second-half penalty from James Milner.
Sunday’s draw serves as a dent to Liverpool’s hopes of winning a Champions League place, with Jurgen Klopp’s squad being pushed to the limit right now.
Klopp’s men looked like Premier League title challengers earlier this season, but injuries to the likes of Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane over the course of the season have exposed Liverpool’s thin squad.
Liverpool must enter the transfer market this summer to beef up their squad, and left back is one area that needs some attention given that right-footed midfielder Milner has been playing there this season.
Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand looks dejected after the game
Last week, The Mirror reported that Liverpool were keen to land Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand, and his impressive performance has caused pundit Garth Crooks to suggest that a move to Anfield would be smart.
Liverpool have regularly raided Southampton in recent years, signing Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Rickie Lambert since 2014, and the Saints will be dreading a possible bid for England ace Bertrand.
Speaking to BBC Sport, pundit Crooks has suggested that Bertrand has flourished since leaving Chelsea in 2014, and believes Liverpool should get the chequebook out to sign Bertrand and finally add a proven left back to the squad at Anfield.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp
“This lad has become a top-class performer,” said Crooks. “To watch his development at Southampton has been a real pleasure. We all knew that he was a player as a youngster at Chelsea – the question was: What sort of player? He showed maturity beyond his years when he surprised us all and performed so well in the 2012 Champions League final in Munich, but it all seemed to come too soon.”
“Since leaving Stamford Bridge he has become the master of his own destiny and looks more accomplished the more I see him. Against Liverpool, who appeared to get more desperate with every minute, Bertrand look composed and in control. Even when he picked up his yellow card for kicking the ball away he knew precisely what he was doing; stopping the ball from re-entering the field of play before the Saints could reassemble. He took a booking for the team.”
“Should Liverpool qualify for Champions League football next season I seriously suggest Jurgen Klopp gets his chequebook out and pay whatever it takes to take Bertrand to Anfield. The player is in that class,” he added.
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