Wayne Rooney does not believe Liverpool can convince an established star to play second fiddle to their first-choice front three and should target youngsters rather than the likes of Timo Werner.
The RB Leipzig striker looked certain to move to Anfield, but the coronavirus crisis significantly affected Liverpool’s spending power and meant they were no longer prepared to pay his £47.5million release clause.
Chelsea had not such concerns, though, with Frank Lampard swooping in to snatch Werner from under the nose of Jurgen Klopp, with the west London club confirming the deal last week.
Now former Manchester United frontman Rooney has suggested Liverpool need to adjust their thinking with regard to signing attacking reinforcements, instead bringing in a young understudy rather than the finished article.
Writing in his column for the Sunday Times, Rooney explained: ‘Transfers-wise, the one thing Liverpool could strengthen is their bench.
‘They could do with more back-up for that front three but passed on Timo Werner partly because they couldn’t offer a player of his calibre a starting position.
‘It’s a bit like the Harry Kane situation at Tottenham in that you would hesitate to join Spurs as a No 9 because you know you won’t play ahead of Kane.
‘Any forward approached by Liverpool will be thinking, “How am I going to get into that front three?” Top players don’t want to sit on anyone’s bench.
‘Maybe the solution for Liverpool is to get a brilliant young forward, like Manchester City did with Gabriel Jesus, who is willing to go there for a couple of seasons and learn.’
On Liverpool’s attack, Rooney added: ‘Their front three is a brilliant machine.
‘Roberto Firmino operates like Francesco Totti did at Roma, coming deep to allow — just as the opposition centre-backs relax — two fast, wide attackers to make diagonal runs into the space.
‘It must be horrible for full backs and midfielders playing against Mo Salah and Sadio Mane: you’d be constantly thinking, “Where are they?”’
MORE: Jurgen Klopp provides blunt response to question over Timo Werner’s Chelsea transfer
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