'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former Liverpool left-back Jose Enrique took to his Twitter account to urge the Reds to sign midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, who is reportedly a Manchester United target as well.
According to The Athletic, United's pursuit of De Jong is over. Casemiro, who has signed for United from Real Madrid for a fee rising up to £70 million, is seen as his alternative.
Enrique, who played for the Reds between 2011 and 2016, has urged his former club to pounce on the Dutch midfielder. According to the Spaniard, the Barcelona star would be the perfect midfielder for manager Jurgen Klopp's team.
Klopp was forced to start a 36-year-old James Milner alongside Jordan Henderson and Harvey Elliott against Manchester United in their most recent Premier League assignment.
Milner and Henderson offered next to nothing going forward and were equally callous when their team was in possession of the ball. The Reds went on to lose the match 2-1.
Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's respective injuries did Klopp no favors. To add to that, it was revealed after the defeat at Old Trafford that Naby Keita injured himself not long before the game.
Liverpool cannot afford to wait until 2023 for a new midfielder
Thiago, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain have had their fair share of injuries in the past, which is why it is felt that the Reds need another addition in midfield.
However, it remains to be seen if Liverpool will have the financial bandwidth to onboard a player of De Jong's ilk this summer.
Barcelona are likely to demand a huge sum for the former Ajax star, who still has three years left on his current contract at Camp Nou. His wage demands could be considerable as well, as he reportedly earns around €560,962 per week at Barca.
If the Reds don't envision signing De Jong, Klopp would be wise to scour the market for at least a stop-gap option to strengthen his midfield this season. It is widely believed that the Reds are going to try and sign Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham next summer.
However, that may not be the wisest approach. Considering the start that they have had to the season (two points in three league games), UEFA Champions League qualification could be a struggle if they keep dropping points.
Moreover, Real Madrid's interest in Bellingham is real, which could complicate matters for Liverpool. Klopp has a crucial few days ahead of him before the transfer window shuts on September 1.
