Liverpool may now have to offload fringe players from their first-team squad to raise funds to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara instead of selling Georginio Wijnaldum.
According to former Reds left-back Stephen Warnock, Liverpool should instead sell the likes of Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic and Rhian Brewster.
“There's a lot of talk around Merseyside that Wijnaldum has to go for the deal to happen,” Warnock told Stadium Astro.
“I don't think that's necessarily the case.
“I think the likes of Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic, Rhian Brewster – if these fringe players leave and they raise enough money for the £30m that Bayern Munich are after, I think they'd more than happily keep Wijnaldum.
“I think when you think of adding to that midfield position, Liverpool's midfield has to be dynamic every single game, they have to play at 100 per cent.
“I think it's something that Jurgen Klopp has looked at and decided that he needs to be able to rotate in that midfield position more often because of the amount of games that they had last year.
“They have to be able to maintain that at a higher level to retain the title this season.
“So in an ideal world for Jurgen Klopp, he buys Thiago and he also keeps Wijnaldum as well.”
Warnock cannot see Wilson or Brewster featuring under Klopp this season and says it would be better to keep a first-team regular like Wijnaldum.
He added: “Harry Wilson's been out on loan now a couple of times, had a good loan spell at Derby, did well at Bournemouth, he's been talked about going to maybe Aston Villa or Newcastle, there've been clubs that are interested in him.
“Rhian Brewster, again not in the squad today, not involved, but the opportunity to go and play first-team football, Sheffield United apparently interested in him, maybe one or two others later in the window.
“If you can raise the cash from the fringe players that aren't necessarily going to improve your team, whereas Wijnaldum is a starter for Liverpool.
“He's your sort of go-to guy in the big games, he always wants to play him in the big games, he knows how reliable he is.
“Would you rather sell him or would you rather sell the players that are going out on loan and raise the funds from that?
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“So I think if Jurgen Klopp has the option, he raises the funds from selling two, three players of the fringe.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
