Jamie Carragher 'pretty confident' on another Liverpool transfer after Martin Zubimendi setback

The Liverpool squad is shrinking. That’s what happens when a club allows players to leave and fails to replace them, funnily enough.

Not that the decisions to part ways with the players have been incorrect choices. The injury-prone pair of Joël Matip and Thiago Alcântara were always going to struggle to receive new deals when their previous contracts expired, and so it proved.

While at the opposite end of his career, allowing Fabio Carvalho to become the fourth costliest signing Brentford has ever made when he hasn’t contributed that much with the Reds is fair enough too. But former Liverpool player turned pundit Jamie Carragher believes another exit is on the cards, despite his old club being the only side in the Premier League yet to make a signing this summer.

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It’s important to note that the Sky Sports man was speaking prior to news breaking that Martin Zubimendi is staying with Real Sociedad rather than joining the Reds . Carragher gave his thoughts on various matters to the Liverpool Echo’s Blood Red podcast on Monday, and one issue covered was the number six position.

“I think that last pre-season game, we all knew as players when we were playing, if you are in the team in that last standout pre-season game, then you have a great chance of playing,” he said.

“It looked like he had [Ryan] Gravenberch in that number six position [ against Sevilla ], it will be interesting who he puts there if he gets the signing that he wants from Real Sociedad over the line before [the game at Ipswich].”

“I think the standout thing for me, in terms of the holding midfield position, the fact that we put in a bid for a player and also the manager has played every single player in that role, except [Wataru] Endo ,” Carragher continued. “I know he played him at the start of the tour of America. I didn’t see the game against Betis, but I saw some reports that he found it difficult.”

“I think Endo will go. I am pretty confident of that. It almost looks like he is completely the opposite of what he [ Arne Slot ] wants in that role. It doesn’t mean that he is a bad player. It just means that when a manager wants to play a slightly different type of game, tactics or set-up. I think he will play virtually everybody there instead of Endo actually – that’s why I think he will move on.”

With Zubimendi staying in Spain, the captain of Japan has likely been handed a reprieve. He clearly has a lot of work to do to win over Slot as far as Carragher is concerned though.

Liverpool.com says: While it's important to retain a sense of perspective - Liverpool still has a strong squad - the Reds' summer is fast becoming farcical. If Carragher is correct that Slot has no time for Endo, as appears the case, this transfer window could yet get even messier.