"The midfield issue for me is still a huge problem for Liverpool," Jamie Carragher said after watching a side he still thinks lacks the right balance. The former Liverpool defender, who made 737 appearances for the club, wants a proper holding midfielder, not just more running power. Liverpool have not added a midfielder this summer transfer window, and they open the Premier League season away at Newcastle United on August 23.

Carragher's concern with Liverpool's midfield

Carragher's point is not about energy. It is about control, and he says the current trio does not give Liverpool enough of it. "I look at that midfield three and I worry about Liverpool," he said, before adding that he struggles to see how those three get Liverpool back into title contention.

That worry has a fairly solid backdrop. Liverpool finished 5th in the Premier League in 2025 with 60 points from 38 games, and their recent league form was patchy enough to keep the midfield debate alive. Ryan Gravenberch has been part of the discussion too, with Carragher specifically asking what happens if he is injured.

Morton adds an awkward twist

The Tyler Morton side of the story is hard for Liverpool to ignore. Tyler Morton left for Lyon for £15million last summer after making 43 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, and he is now being used in the role Carragher says his old club lack.

Morton has already made 2 appearances for Lyon in the 2026 season, and his early numbers are tidy. He has a 7.65 season rating there, which fits the profile Carragher is talking about more closely than a midfield built around endless movement.

Morton said of the role: "There's no better position than No. 6, getting on the ball constantly, finding passes between the lines and using my brain to dictate games." He has clearly settled into that responsibility at Lyon, while Liverpool are still looking at the same problem from the outside.

Carragher does not think the answer is another box-to-box body. He wants a holding midfielder, and Liverpool's own academy product is now making that case in France.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →