Di Canio warns Alisson signing for Liverpool may not paper over cracks

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West Ham United legend Paolo Di Canio believes new goalkeeper Alisson may not be enough to solve Liverpool’s defensive problems.

West Ham United legend Paolo Di Canio has had his say on Liverpool’s recent capture of Alisson Becker from Roma for £66 million.

The Brazilian number one’s signing was confirmed officially by the club last week, after a summer of speculation linking him with a move to Anfield.

The 25-year-old has joined on a six-year deal, and will take over the number one spot from Loris Karius, whose future will be up in the air now, especially after a concerning pre-season following his nightmare Champions League final performance.

Alisson’s move has seen him become far and away the most expensive goalkeeper of all time, and Reds fans are hopeful he can go some way to eradicating the team’s shakiness at the back. But Italian maverick Di Canio has warned Liverpool that the goalkeeper’s signing may not be enough on its own.

As reported by Goal, he said: “He can reach great results in Liverpool but he needs to be careful because Liverpool used to concede a lot to their opponents.

“Liverpool used to win games with weird results like 5-3, 5-2. It’s not easy to find a balance.”

Di Canio is very much an Alisson fan though, and believes he can hit huge heights under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

He added: “I’m very curious to see him in the Premier League because lot of great goalkeeper just failed in England.

“Alisson was great in his first season in Rome and now he still needs to show his qualities. He has the skills and the personality to become a world-class goalkeeper and he is also young and in a good shape.”

The former Internacional stopper made 37 league appearances for Roma last term, and impressed with his excellent ball control and distribution, as well as his natural athleticism.

Such a huge fee will definitely mean he becomes the new number one at Anfield, which could spell the end for Karius or forgotten man Simon Mignolet, with neither unlikely to want to be a number three goalkeeper after the sale of Danny Ward to Leicester City.

Arguably Di Canio is right. Alisson is obviously a great signing that addresses a clear weakness, but the Reds need someone better than Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip to partner Virgil van Dijk to ensure defensive solidity.