Peter Schmeichel thinks Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool should have signed Harry Maguire from Manchester United.
Liverpool need ‘top-end’ centre-back
It was suggested by Ian Wright that Liverpool needed to sign a ‘top-end’ centre-back this summer, before Schmeichel chirped in that it should have been Harry Maguire.
The name the Arsenal legend was putting forward was that of Manchester City’s new boy, Josko Gvardiol.
But legendary keeper Schmeichel made it clear that it’s easy to say teams like Liverpool and Manchester United need central defenders, but ‘who is that centre-half that is so good that he would go and play for that club’, as he asked on Premier League Productions (03/09/23 at 1:50 pm).
There was a lot of talk about Maguire possibly leaving Old Trafford this summer, but in the end, to the frustration of his own fans, he stayed put.
Nonetheless, Schmeichel cheekily suggested that the under-fire England defender is the answer to Liverpool’s lack of pro-active nature in building their backline under Klopp.
“Harry Maguire,” responded Schmeichel to Wright’s suggestion that Liverpool should have signed a ‘top-end’ defender.
Wright responded and laughed: “I don’t think so. You have just stopped my flow there. I’m not laughing at Harry Maguire, by the way.”
Schmeichel added: “At the end of the day, it’s easier to say that. You should have brought in a defender, but who? Gvardiol has gone to Man City. That was always going to happen.
“I agree (you have to go in). I think Manchester United should have done that as well. Every time there is a player of that quality, yes, they should go in. Liverpool, Man United and Man City. Everyone. Go in and compete for that player.
“There has been talk about bringing in a centre-half at Man United as well. But the next question is who? Where is that centre-half that is so good that he would go and play for that club.”
Liverpool’s backline is better than Man United’s
It’s more proven on the Premier League stage, and when everyone is fit, they have better quality players.
In truth, the fans of those clubs are probably happy with the starters from Lisandro Martinez to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It’s what is behind them that is the issue and that’s where the club’s American ownerships – FSG and the Glazers – come under fire.