Jamie Carragher identifies $55m transfer who would have fixed Liverpool issue before joining rivals

Jamie Carragher has named the Arsenal transfer who would have been ideal for Liverpool this summer amid the wait for the first signing of the Arne Slot and Richard Hughes era.

Linked with a move to Anfield , Italian international defender Riccardo Calafiori ended up joining the Gunners from Bologna for a fee of up to $55m (£42m/€50m) including add-ons. But Carragher believes that he could have been an asset for Liverpool with the Reds not having a left-footed center-back.

"When I look at what Man City and Arsenal have got, there’s a certain player at both clubs who I think would be brilliant for Liverpool ," he said on The Overlap , brought to you by Sky Bet . "Arsenal have just brought in Calafiori and City have got Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol.

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"I think Liverpool could do with a left-footed center-back who can play left-back. I think it would give you a nice balance. The problem is Virgil 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 Alexander-Arnold doing his thing and being a bit more solid on that left side. Andy Robertson is getting older, Kostas Tsimikas you’re not sure if he’ll ever be at the level and I just think a left-footed center-half is massive for Dutch coaches."

Liverpool.com says: Calarfiori looks like a good player but he had eyes only for Arsenal, by all accounts. Convincing a left-sided defender to come to Liverpool and compete with Van Dijk is a tricky situation unless minutes can be guaranteed at full-back as well, which isn't easy with Robertson, Tsimikas and Joe Gomez at the club.