Liverpool need three new signings to rescue their defense this season.

John Aldridge believes Liverpool need to sign three new players in the January transfer window to prevent the season from spiraling downwards: two centre-backs and a defensive midfielder. According to the former player, inherent weaknesses in set pieces and panic in the penalty area have caused the defense to lose the efforts of the attacking line.

Work hard, defense hard, and the haunting specter of death.

Aldridge reiterated that earlier in the season, on the Liverpool Echo, he warned that after the matches against Bournemouth and Newcastle, Liverpool needed to score at least three goals to win. Now, he says that number has "inflated" to four, or even five goals like against PSV last week, to secure a win.

The draw at Elland Road was the culmination of Aldridge's disappointment: the forwards scored three away goals, but the defense threw them all away. Compared to last season, the current Liverpool team is just a pale shadow of its former self.

According to Aldridge, the biggest weakness lies in their ability to defend against set pieces: when defending corners, leaving the far post empty, players crowd around the goalkeeper, creating huge gaps behind them. When the ball bounces out, Liverpool often find themselves down to ten men in counter-attacks. A sense of panic sets in whenever the ball is crossed into the penalty area.

January Human Resources Red Alert

Aldridge believes Liverpool's centre-back pairing is in crisis. With Leoni's long-term injury and Joe Gomez's extensive injury history, he suggests the team needs not just one, but two new centre-backs by January.

In addition, a top-class defensive midfielder is also considered essential. Ryan Gravenberch is playing hard, but according to Aldridge, he would be more useful if he were freed up to push forward and support the attack.

However, he worries that the owners will struggle to spend money on three new signings after their summer investment. With a thin squad and a slump in defensive form, Aldridge questions how Arne Slot will manage with a system riddled with holes.

The big question mark is Ibrahima Konate.

On a personal level, Aldridge criticized Ibrahima Konate's penalty attempt as "ridiculous." He argued it was a naive tackle when the opponent had virtually no way out. Despite the minimal contact and the opponent deliberately falling, Konate still gave the referee a reason to award a penalty.

Aldridge emphasized that Konate couldn't have deteriorated overnight: the center-back was still reliable last season. He questioned whether transfer rumors or contract issues were distracting the player. According to Aldridge's argument, if Real Madrid saw this form, they wouldn't be interested, even if he were available for free.

A glimmer of hope from the attacking line.

In that bleak picture, Aldridge sees Hugo Ekitike as a bright spot: young, full of potential, and fulfilling his goal-scoring duties. Alexander Isak needs more time to adapt, but his class is undeniable.

He believes Arne Slot needs to quickly find a suitable combination of Wirtz, Isak, and Ekitike to maintain firepower, but the most urgent priority remains plugging the gaps in the defense. With Mohamed Salah absent from the Inter Milan match and the upcoming AFCON, Liverpool needs to regain their solidity as quickly as possible if they don't want the season to slip away.