Danny Murphy has claimed Liverpool should rival Arsenal for Declan Rice this summer - and he has also urged the Reds to reshape their midfield.
The Merseyside outfit have endured an underwhelming season thus far with a spot in the top four far from assured. They opted not to bring in a marquee midfielder in the summer, instead adding Darwin Nunez for a club-record fee, which has been cited as a reason behind their poor form.
Several of the men in the middle of the park are ageing and a fresh injection has been advised. Jude Bellingham is likely to be on the market, as is Declan Rice. Arsenal are thought to be in for the West Ham star, but Murphy believes Liverpool should also enter the race.
Jurgen Klopp has previously cited the differences in financial power between Liverpool and some of their rivals, but offloading players can raise funds and Murphy reckons James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all face uncertain futures.
He told talkSPORT : "I think it would be stupid of me to not be shocked and surprised at how far they’ve gone backwards in such a short space. We’re talking about a team that was not far off winning the quadruple last season. They don’t look at it, they don’t look like they’ve got much legs, or got much hunger.
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"They’re missing players, of course they are, but they had some of those players at the beginning of the season and results were the same. I think there’s a rebuild needed, and by that I mean players out the door and a few more in.
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"Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out of contract and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Naby Keita go, I’m not sure James Milner is going to stay for another year, if he does he won’t be playing much – that’s three midfielders potentially leaving. The midfield needs freshening up and I would love Bellingham to happen because he is exactly what Liverpool need.
"But I don’t think they just need one, I think they probably need two. I’d go for Bellingham and Rice. I’d try and get them both. Why not? Go hard or go home on two big signings, rather than four or five. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham walking into that midfield with Thiago… that’s exciting."
Rice has long been linked with an eventually move away from the Hammers, who have seen him grow in recent seasons. Their struggles, coupled with the player's desire to win trophies, could see a parting of ways, provided the club get the price tag they want, but there is likely to be plenty of competition for his services.
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