LIVERPOOL need a marquee signing to challenge for the Premier League title, according to former players Peter Crouch and Joe Cole.
The Reds have had another relatively quiet summer transfer window so far as they've only landed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig following a £35million deal.
But the Merseysiders' title rivals Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have been busier and significantly strengthened with the arrival of some major stars.
United signed Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, City broke the British transfer record by buying Jack Grealish for £100m and the Blues brought Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge.
Crouch, who spent three years at Anfield, believes a major signing before transfer deadline day would "lift" the dressing room.
The ex-England international told BT Sport before Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Burnley: ''When a new signing walks through the door, when Lukaku, Sancho and Varane walk through the door [it lifts everyone].
"If they [Liverpool] signed Lukaku, you're talking about them being front runners for the title.
"They haven't signed anyone, they've got Konate but they haven't really gone out and got someone. This squad still has the quality to be title contenders.
"When someone walks through the door, when [Andriy] Shevchenko and [Michael] Ballack walk through the door, when [Fernando] Torres walks through the door, it lifts training.
"But with [Virgil] Van Dijk, when the full-backs bomb forward when the strikers bomb forward, when they look back and see him there it's a big lift to the whole team."
Cole, on the other hand, believes Jurgen Klopp relies too much on the same Liverpool players that won the 2019-2020 Premier League title.
The former Reds ace believes last term's injury crisis should serve as a warning that Klopp needs fresh additions.
Cole told BT Sport: "I wouldn't say I'm concerned. They didn't do any business last year, they are banking on that unit of players that won them the title.
"Last year it got decimated by injuries. Instead of going for the big star, we're going to put you in that position on the pitch and challenge [Sadio] Mane.
"They've gone around the peripheries, while Chelsea have gone, 'Lukaku, he's playing. If it upsets [Kai] Havertz and [Timo] Werner, whatever'.
"Whether they have the money to go for big players, I don't know. They've gone down the road of giving out big contracts."
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