Liverpool has made significant changes to their attacking line after Mohamed Salah's exit, yet one critical issue for the team lingers.
According to BBC's chief football correspondent Phil McNulty, the absence of a traditional holding midfielder may hinder Andoni Iraola's side's chances of competing for the title.
In the summer, Liverpool's primary target was Bradley Barcola, who they eventually signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £123 million. However, the Frenchman isn’t a direct replacement for Salah, preferring to operate on the left flank instead. Another option has emerged in Viktor Munoz, who made a striking impact by scoring in the match against Nottingham Forest.
McNulty believes that rather than finding a single player to replace Salah, Liverpool has opted to spread his output across multiple attacking players. However, the recent draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have exposed another underlying issue.
Phil McNulty stated:
The lack of a classic ‘number six’ has resulted in imbalances in midfield, leaving the team extremely vulnerable to counter-attacks. Opponents can still navigate through the centre of Liverpool's midfield, yet Iraola hasn’t shown any intent to sign a player for that position.
The journalist asserts that this deficiency could prevent Liverpool from bouncing back after a disappointing title defence last season.
