Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to sign a centre back in January in place of injured Virgil van Dijk if they’re to defend for their Premier League title.

The Reds lost their versatile defender to injury in the Merseyside Derby on Saturday after a rush challenge by Jordan Pickford on the Dutchman in the yard, an infringement not punishable by the centre referee. He faces much time on the sidelines to undergo surgery and it’s a huge blow against the Reds.

Liverpool sold Dejan Lovren to Zenit and brought in three additions to the squad – Tsimikas, Thiago and Jota, refusing to replace departed Lovren at the centre back role.

Former defender, Jamie Carragher speaking on Sky MNF expressed that it will be perfect if Jurgen Klopp brings in a defender in the January transfer window to salvage his side from conceding and restoring their confidence at the back.

"Dejan Lovren went and they didn’t replace him in the squad. They’ve only got three centre backs and one of them, Joel Matip, is always injured, and there were questions being asked around Joe Gomez too. So, there was no doubt Liverpool had to go big in the transfer market next summer. That was the next one.

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"That’s got to be brought forward to January 2 [when the transfer window opens]. Not the end of January. Not [wasting time that month] negotiating with a club."

"There is a young man everyone was talking about at Leipzig, Dayot Upamecano, there is talk of him. Whether he has the profile of Van Dijk, I think he is only 6'1" or 6'2", so he is maybe not that aerial, but if he is the one they wanted then bring it forward.

"Pay extra money and do it on January 1st.

"That means getting through 11 league games without Virgil van Dijk.

"One thing to say about Virgil van Dijk is that in the last 23 games they have only kept five clean sheets, and Van Dijk played all of them, so it is not like everything was perfect. We saw the seven against Aston Villa and we saw the Leeds game.

"But I think they have to go big with a signing."

Fabinho is expected to step up and fill the void at the back.

The Brazilian has been used in matches in the absence of Matip and Gomez.