Liverpool should only sign Ramos if they are desperate, says club legend

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol believes the club should only go into the market for a central defender in January if they are “desperate”, while expressing doubts over the potential signing of Sergio Ramos.

The Reds are currently in the middle of a defensive crisis, with first-choice centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both currently injured.

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Both players are likely to miss the majority of the season, with Van Dijk suffering a knee ligament injury and Gomez rupturing his patella tendon.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is also currently injured, but should return soon.

With Fabinho and Joel Matip set to conbine for a makeshift central defensive pairing, there has been reports that Liverpool could look to bolster their backline with a new signing.

Although Nicol thinks they should only buy someone if they are desperate, his preference would be RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano ahead of Real Madrid’s Ramos.

“I don’t wish to make this sound bad but it depends how desperate they are,” Nicol told ESPN when asked if Liverpool should dip into the transfer market.

“Listen, if Virgil van Dijk has a setback and it’s going to take even longer, if Joe Gomez is struggling, you’d rather go for someone like Upamecano, at 21, who you’re going to have for a decade. It’s kind of a no-brainer.

“If you can’t get him, then you kind of start going down the list.

“Clearly, you want a younger player who is going to be there for some time. You really want to avoid stop-gaps, unless you’re in a real hole.”

Upamecano v Ramos – 2021/21:

Another player who has been linked with the Premier League champions is Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

The Spaniard’s contract runs out at the end of the season, and it yet to agree new terms to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

At 34-years-old, however, Nicol reckons Ramos is in decline.

“So, listen, if they got Ramos it would only be for a couple of seasons. I think he’s on the wane a little.

“But it wouldn’t be the worst signing ever, he would do a job.”

Real Madrid have allegedly made progress in their attempts to finally tie Ramos down to an extended deal, finally meeting his demands of more than a one-year deal.