Liverpool hero John Aldridge feels his former club need to sign another striker to provide competition for Roberto Firmino and Timo Werner would have been the ideal candidate.
The Reds are having yet another quiet transfer window, signing only Kostas Tsiimikas from Olympiacos for the senior side so far.
The transfer window remains open until 5 October and reports suggest that manager Jurgen Klopp still wants to add two more signings to his squad.
Aldridge believes the German should be targeting a new striker, not to replace Firmino, but to provide some much needed competition and to keep him on his toes.
‘There’s been a lot said about Liverpool’s stance in the transfer market this summer but I can’t help but feel it might do Bobby some good if he did have someone breathing down his neck for his place so he knows he’s got to score goals,’ the former Ireland international told the Liverpool Echo.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of his and he does some great things for the front three which often goes unnoticed but if you’re a number nine, you have to score goals.
‘That’s the bottom line and he knows that. He’s not been doing that at Anfield for the last year or so and it needs to change.
‘I understand the club’s general position on transfers this summer but it is a bit of a gamble in a couple of positions because we’ve been relatively lucky with injuries the last couple of seasons but you can’t always bank on that.
‘Transfers themselves are also something of a gamble for Liverpool as it’s hard to improve on what we’ve got and also convince players to sign who know they probably won’t be first choice. But I still think we could do with another goalscorer.’
Liverpool had been linked with Timo Werner earlier in the summer, but reportedly couldn’t afford the German’s release clause of £49m.
Werner admitted that he held talks with Liverpool, but eventually moved from RB Leipzig to Chelsea and said it was ‘the best decision he could take.’
Aldridge says the forward would have been a great option, if the club could have got it done.
‘In an ideal world, the fans would have loved to have seen us get Timo Werner or someone of that ilk but it wasn’t possible,’ he said.
‘Freshening the squad up, even if it’s just one player, keeps everyone on their toes and adds to the competition for places.’
Liverpool will take on Werner as they travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
