Jamie Carragher identifies 'huge problem' at Liverpool which means they WON'T compete for the Premier League title - despite there being 'too much quality'!

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has expressed his concern over the club's midfield heading into the new season.

The Reds are now under the management of Andoni Iraola after a difficult campaign in 2025-26 where they came fifth, a finish that resulted in Arne Slot being sacked.

So far this summer, the club have added winger Victor Munoz and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, while Jeremy Jacquet has joined up with the squad after his move from Rennes was agreed in January.

Iraola's side are yet to strengthen in midfield though, leaving them with the same options as last season - and Carragher believes that could be a key issue.

'The midfield for me is still a huge problem for Liverpool,' he told The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet. 'I haven’t watched all the pre-season games, but I watched the last two against decent opposition - it was Leeds and then Monaco.

'And the problem Liverpool had last season was there was space everywhere in midfield. That has not gone away at all.

Jamie Carragher has expressed his concern over Liverpool's midfield ahead of the new season

Carragher highlighted the area as a 'huge problem' for new Reds boss Andoni Iraola

'That’s only going to get bigger with the deployment of [Dominik] Szoboszlai in midfield.

'It looks like they’re going to play him, rather than as a number 10, almost as a central midfield player alongside [Ryan] Gravenberch and that is just pure box-to-box.'

Carragher went on to call for Liverpool to sign an 'out-and-out number six' to provide more solidity and depth.

The former defender also felt Iraola had to find a better way to get the balance right in midfield, and admitted that while there is plenty of energy among his options available, that could lead to issues.

'I look at that midfield three and I worry,' he added. 'When you name six or seven of Liverpool’s players, you can’t say they’re not top players.

'You can’t say Gravenberch is not a really good player, or [Florian] Wirtz, or [Dominik] Szoboszlai.

'But as a midfield three, I look at that and think, oh no, there’s almost too much quality, but they all want to go and play and run. And even in pre-season, the space is coming through the middle.'

Having won the title in 2024-25, last season did prove to be a significant drop off for the Reds, and they have also since lost both Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate.

Carragher said the decision to play Dominik Szoboszlai as a No 8 leaves the team too open

So far in pre-season they have won two and lost two, and Iraola's side conclude their preparations against Como this weekend.

But despite the potential of a new manager bounce and more signings in the market, Carragher felt that the weaknesses he highlighted would ultimately hold them back this year.

'I struggle to see how that midfield three [of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai & Ryan Gravenberch] - who are all individually really good players - is a midfield three that gets Liverpool back to competing for the title,' he said.

'I’m not sure about that at all.'