Stan Collymore has urged Liverpool to invest heavily over the summer and consider an ambitious bid for Tottenham Hotspur captain Harry Kane, while speaking to the Mirror.
When Manchester United won the Premier League and Champions League in 2008, there was no hanging around at Old Trafford.
Despite boasting the most formidable frontline in world football, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez striking the fear of god into all opposition, United started the following campaign by shattering their transfer record on Dimitar Berbatov.
Now, with Liverpool falling well adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City and facing a battle to even qualify for the top four, some have suggested that Jurgen Klopp should have taken a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book.
The Merseyside giants bought three players last summer, after lifting their first top-flight crown in 30 years. But, when everyone is fit and firing, it is debatable whether even Diogo Jota or Thiago would warrant a place in Klopp’s best XI.
That is without mentioning the seldom-seen Kostas Tsimikas.
With so many of Liverpool’s title-winning stars stagnating in recent months, Collymore thinks the soon-to-be abdicated Kings of the Premier League must make a statement signing if they are to re-claim their throne in the near future.
“City’s squad contains 22 players who, if split into two teams, could both finish in the Premier League’s top six,” the former Anfield favourite said.
“So we’re talking very high bars for any club to meet if they want to see off the City challenge over two lots of 38 games in back-to-back seasons.
“(Liverpool) need to wake up and smell the coffee, which means owners FSG spending money to go toe-to-toe with City in that period
“It means that if City go out and buy Erling Haaland this summer then Liverpool must buy the next Robert Lewandowski or even put in a bid for Harry Kane.
“What they can’t do is just say, ‘We have a really good XI, some youngsters coming through, and we can maintain our challenges that way’, because there are too many other teams with the money to make sure that won’t be the case.”
Of course, signing Kane, the Tottenham talisman valued at a world-record £200 million, is easier said than done, even if Jurgen Klopp is a huge fan of the ‘world-class‘ front man.
Then again, at the age of 27, Kane has a difficult decision to make. If he wants the silverware his talent deserves, then a heart-wrenching departure from his boyhood club may be the most necessary of evils.
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