Liverpool have to be looking at signing another centre-half in the January transfer window, says Jose Enrique, with Jurgen Klopp expected to snap up a younger option such as RB Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano.
The Reds are currently mulling over their options when it comes to winter recruitment.
A flurry of untimely injuries have forced the reigning Premier League champions to consider spending again.
Virgil van Dijk has undergone knee surgery, ruling him out for several months, while the likes of Joel Matip and Fabinho have suffered unfortunate knocks.
Nat Phillips is the latest to have provided cover at centre-half, with the Anfield academy graduate faring admirably on his top-flight debut against West Ham.
It could be that faith is shown in a home-grown 23-year-old, but reinforcements are expected to be sought in a vital area of the field.
Numerous names have already been added to the pot when it comes to lists of possible targets, with Enrique of the opinion that Klopp will splash the cash with one eye on the future.
The former Reds full-back told Stadium Astro: “For me, I’m not sure about names because there are so many coming out.
“For me, [Joe] Gomez is a top centre-back. He has everything. His improvement over the last few seasons, can you rely on him like you do with Van Dijk?
“Van Dijk, until this injury, has been playing every single game - even the cup games. Someone who is that important, you need someone like that.
“I believe Gomez and Van Dijk when they are fit, I don’t know who else can be better than them two together. I believe they should go for a younger player, and I think that’s what Liverpool will do.”
Enrique added on those that Liverpool could chase down: “They have been talking about Upamecano, [Kalidou] Koulibaly – he would cost 70-80 million.
“They need to sign someone because you need two players for every position, always. We have been really unlucky with injuries, but you need two players in these positions.
“Upamecano is a good player. There are players in La Liga, but they are not as good as Gomez. It’s difficult. There are a lot of players in Europe and I’m sure they will find someone.”
Liverpool passed up the chance to bring in another defender when Dejan Lovren was offloaded to Zenit over the summer, with Enrique suggesting that the Reds missed a trick there.
The Spaniard said: “When someone goes, you need to replace him.
“I can’t say Klopp has made a mistake. He has made so many good decisions. In my opinion, I would have signed a centre-back.
“When you talk about the best clubs in the world, look how much money Manchester City have spent on centre-backs in the last few seasons. This year they signed [Nathan] Ake and [Ruben] Dias.
“Maybe Phillips will perform and you don’t need a centre-back in January. But how many young players are starting first-team players?
“Centre-back is one of the most important positions. We need someone there.”