Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has hit out at Jurgen Klopp for selling Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace this summer.
With The Reds' defensive problems the subject if much discussion, Thompson - who captained Liverpool to European Cup glory in 1981 - believes Klopp's decision to let Sakho leave is partly to blame.
“Our best defender at the start of this season has been allowed to leave,” Thompson told Sky Sports.
“Mamadou Sakho was our best defender. He was a warrior, a fighter, a battler - all those things and you saw it at Crystal Palace last season.
“He was like that at Liverpool. I know there’s fallouts in football all the time but somewhere along the line you can’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
“He should have made up with the boy, ban him for three or four months and then bring him back in.
“And now you lose out to Van Dijk for whatever reason that happened so surely you would be keeping Sakho.
“Lovren is a good player, Matip’s a good player, Klavan too, but they’re not battlers.”
Stop harassing him! Explosive leaked emails reveal details behind Barcelona's bids for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho
Leaked emails appear to show Liverpool asking Barcelona to "stop harassing Philippe Coutinho " during the Spanish club's lengthy summer pursuit of the midfielder, as reported by Mirror Football's Martin Domin.
Barcelona failed with three bids for the Brazilian as Liverpool refused to sell their star man.
And German newspaper Der Spiegel has published correspondence between the two clubs.
The emails show that the first offer for Coutinho - around £72million - was rejected on July 20 with the Anfield club insisting the player was "not for sale at any price".
In early August, Barcelona returned with a bid of £90m but Michael Edwards, Liverpool's sporting director, said: "I ask you amicably to stop harassing Coutinho publicly and privately. No amount of money will change our minds."
The Catalan club then had a third bid of £114m rejected towards the end of the transfer window.
Liverpool and Everton both keen on signing Charlton teenager Ezri Konsa
Liverpool and Everton are both keen on Charlton teenager Ezri Konsa, reports the Sunday Mirror's Tom Hopkinson.
The 19-year-old was part of England Under-20s’ World Cup-winning squad last summer. Now, the Addicks are bracing themselves for offers for the centre-back when the transfer window reopens in January.
Charlton have lost Joe Gomez to the red half of Merseyside and Ademola Lookman to the blue half, and there’s a chance Konsa will follow them to the north-west early next year.
Liverpool also plan to send rookie winger Harry Wilson out on loan to the Championship in January.
The 20-year-old — who at 16 became Wales’ youngest-ever capped player — is being eyed by Barnsley after seeing a summer switch blocked. The Reds rate Wilson, but want him to carry on in the second-tier.