Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Jamie Carragher says £42m Arsenal player would be ‘brilliant’ for Liverpool under Arne Slot
Arsenal and Liverpool will aim to carry on in the same vein after securing comfortable 2-0 wins on opening day.
The Gunners dispatched Wolverhampton Wanderers at home courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka as they asserted their dominance right from the get-go.
Liverpool were slow to get off the blocks in Arne Slot’s first Premier League game in charge of the club but got the job done thanks to second-half strikes from Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota.
Both teams boast strong squads and should be up there in the Premier League this season.
However, Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal new signing Riccardo Calafiori would have been a fantastic addition to the Liverpool backline.
Jamie Carragher feels Liverpool lack a player of Riccardo Calafiori’s profile
Capable of playing at the heart of the defence and left-back, Calafiori’s addition has further bolstered a backline that conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League last season (29).
Carragher believes a left-footed central defender – something Liverpool lack at present – would give the Reds a different dimension at the back. Calafiori certainly fit the bill, with Manchester City defenders Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol also mentioned as players of the same ilk.
“When I look at what City and Arsenal have got, there’s a certain player at both clubs who I think would be brilliant for Liverpool,” Carragher said on The Overlap.
“Arsenal have just brought in Calafiori and Man City have got Nathan Ake and Gvardiol. I think Liverpool could do with a left-footed centre-back who can play left-back. I think it would give you a nice balance.”
Carragher feels a left-sided defender like Calafiori would help solve multiple issues at the back for Liverpool.
He continued: “The problem is Van Dijk plays on the left but I don’t think it would be the end of the world if he had to play on the right for some games.
“I think if you had one of those players and you had Trent doing his thing and being a bit more solid on that left side.
“Andy Robertson is getting older, Tsimikas you’re not sure if he’ll ever be at the level and I just think a left-footed centre-half is massive for Dutch coaches.”
Liverpool wanted Calafiori before Arsenal transfer
Calafiori joined Arsenal earlier this summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £ from Serie A side Bologna.
The Italian enjoyed a strong 2023-24 season under Thiago Motta and topped it off with a fantastic showing at Euro 2024, attracting interest from several clubs across the continent.
A report from claims Liverpool enquired about his potential signing earlier this summer, with clubs like Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United and West Ham United also credited with an interest at the time.
However, the Gunners snapped him up after Euro 2024 and Mikel Arteta confirmed that Calafiori only wanted to join Arsenal, indicating that other clubs – including Liverpool – would have been thwarted in their efforts to sign him.
What next for Liverpool and Arsenal before deadline day?
Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, although the Georgian goalkeeper is set to spend the current campaign on loan at the Mestalla.
The Reds are yet to sign a player this summer and there is a growing belief that Mamardashvili’s signing – albeit for next season – will be the only deal they get over the line this summer.
Mikel Arteta’s side, on the other hand, have already snapped up Calafiori, while Mikel Merino has agreed to join Arsenal from Real Sociedad after drawn-out negotiations between the two clubs.
The Gunners remain in the market for further reinforcements but are likely to focus on player sales first as we edge closer to deadline day.