Window is open for Reds to spend big
Kop legend McAteer: If Klopp gets his trio of transfer targets stick your cash on Liverpool to be Prem champs
“There’s no doubt he has quality and is a fantastic player, who is still only 27, but he just doesn’t play enough.
“He finished the season playing the last four games, made a good contribution and now everyone wants him to stay.
“But the best solution would be a move – it’s got to that point.
“I think people get sick of the conversation about why he isn’t playing. It’s the constant intrigue of whether it’s down to Daniel not feeling he’s 100 per cent right or Klopp making tactical decisions based on opponents.
“I’ve heard West Ham want to sign him. But my personal opinion is that Daniel would thrive at somewhere like PSG.
“Playing with superstars like Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria would suit his game.
“In France, he would also be out of the constant spotlight.
“The stumbling block would be the fee and whether Liverpool get the £40m they want for him, which remains to be seen.
“It could depend on Ronaldo. If he left Madrid, I’m certain he’d join PSG – and that would rule out them moving for Sturridge.
“But, whatever happens, the time is right for Daniel to move.” LIVERPOOL can end 28 yearsars of title misery and finally win n the Premier League IF Jurgen Klopp lands all his major summer mmer targets.
That’s the view of former Kop p star Jason McAteer who believes Liverpoolerpool could be edging towards their firstt title triumph since Kenny Dalglish guidedded them to their last crown in 1990.
Despite Chelsea, Manchesterer City and Manchester United all set t to spend big in the transfer market this summer, McAteer reckons Klopp could blow them all out of the water if he can slot in the final pieces of his Anfield jigsaw.
And having already landed £ 39million Roma winger Mohamed Salah, McAteer believes if Klopp can add Naby y Keita, RB Leipzig’s midfield d tackling machine, and Southampton on defender Virgil van Dijk, the Kop’sop’s wait for title glory could be nearly over.
Strength
“Initially I was thinking Liverpoolerpool should be targeting a cup, a decent nt run in the Champions League and a topthree finish next season” says McAteer.Ateer.
“But if Jurgen Klopp can nail down his three major transfer targets then, with the attacking options he’s got in the squad, there’s no reason why th they shouldn’t be pushing to win the title.
“He would have unbelievable strength if he gets his three targets because that trio would all start and then you have guys like Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Emre Can to fit round them.
“Liverpool finished last season strongly with eight wins in their last 12 games so the team is moving forward. They have the basis of a tremendous side.
“Last season everyone, me included, got carried away with the start the team had. But then it all unravelled and we suffered through January and February. Sadio Mane went to the Africa Cup of Nations, Coutinho was out, the team won only one of their nine games in January and players looked tired.
“They just ran out of steam and the confidence they’d built up just drained away. Once you lose momentum it’s very hard to recover, especially as Chelsea just kept winning their games.
“The January transfer window wasn’t a good one for Liverpool either and Jurgen got caught out a little bit because his squad just wasn’t strong enough.
“So the window this time is an important one for him and he needs to get it right if Liverpool are going to be contenders.”
The signing of Salah is the perfect start. But McAteer believes landing Leipzig’s African midfield star Keita would be an even better signing.
“I watch a lot of the Bundesliga and Keita is a terrific player. He’s in the mould of N’Golo Kante and Claude Makelele – he’s full of energy, always breaking play up and getting his team on the front foot,” he said.
“If Klopp manages to get him out of Leipzig it would be fantastic and allow Can to play a more forward role which would suit him better.” McAteer is confident there could still be life left in Klopp’s controversial move for Southampton centre back Van Dijk – even though Saints complained the Dutchman had been illegally ‘tapped up’ by Liverpool.
Message
But he is convinced Anfield’s best business will be the summer window closing at 11pm on August 31 with Coutinho – a Barcelona target – still wearing a Liverpool shirt.
“That would send a message around football that the players believe