Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp needs a player like Chelsea star N’Golo Kante - Dean Saunders

LIVERPOOL desperately need to sign a player like Chelsea star N’Golo Kante.

Given: Liverpool needed a plan B after failing to sign Van Dijk

That is the view of former Liverpool striker turned pundit Dean Saunders. 

Jurgen Klopp failed to address his defensive frailties in the summer transfer window after missing out on a host of top targets including Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk. 

And the cracks have appeared once again this season with their 2-0 defeat to Leicester at the King Power Stadium highlighting their weaknesses at the back. 

After crashing out of the Carabao Cup at the third round stage, Klopp admitted he was sick of the club’s poor defensive record this season. 

But Saunders reckons the solution could be to sign a defensive midfielder in the mould of Kante to protect his backline as Jordan Henderson and Emre Can are leaving exposed. 

Not only does he think that way he’s quick over the ground – so he’s brilliant at it. Have Liverpool protected that back-four?

Dean Saunders

“Individually, they’ve got to be good enough to play for a big club,” Saunders told talkSPORT.

“The minute you took [N’Golo] Kante out of Leicester’s team they started shipping goals. 

“[Danny] Drinkwater didn’t look as good, Wes Morgan and [Robert] Huth didn’t look as good.

“That man that sits in front of the back-four has to have a defensive mind. He’s got to think: ‘what if - all the time. What if we lose it? What if it gets cleared? What if our right-back’s gone forward?’

N'Golo KanteGETTY

Liverpool need to sign a player like Chelsea star N'Golo Kante - Dean Saunders

“Kante does that. Not only does he think that way he’s quick over the ground –so he’s brilliant at it. Have Liverpool protected that back-four?

“Has Jordan Henderson got a mind like Kante’s? I think Jordan Henderson is an athlete that gets around the pitch. 

“Has [Emre] Can got a mind like Kante, [Claude] Makelele and [Patrick] Vieira?”

Liverpool take on Leicester again in the Premier League on Saturday (5:30pm). 

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