Jamie Carragher reveals his fears for Liverpool ahead of start of Premier League title defence despite big-spending summer

Liverpool have spent almost £265 million on new additions this summer and could make it over £400m should they complete the signing of Newcastle's Alexander Isak, but Carragher is still not convinced by the squad. Arne Slot may have only brought in Federico Chiesa last season, but he has had ample support this window and overhauled an already exceptional squad. Yet, Liverpool were matched by Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon and even beaten by the Eagles in a penalty shoot-out prompting Carragher to voice his concerns.

Posting on X, Carragher said: "Liverpool looking great going forward but susceptible defensively, as we’ve seen all pre-season.

"A lot of the goals conceded by Liverpool have come from going man to man really aggressively and leaving space in behind. Today, Kerkez is getting dragged inside with Sarr, leaving Gakpo chasing wing-back."

After Palace added their second, Carragher retweeted and added: "Again!"

While Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate represent one of the strongest centre-half pairings in the world, they are both susceptible to the odd mistake. The Dutch defender is ageing and Konate's injury record is far from perfect, suggesting that holes at the back could be exposed further this season. Beyond the star pair, Joe Gomez is the only other senior option after Jarell Quansah was sold.

Although the endless chase of Isak continues to drag on, the Reds will surely be considering a move for a central defender before the window closes. They kick off their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth on Friday and will be hoping for three points and to avoid an injury crisis at the back.