"They should almost pay for it" – Liverpool legend slams Newcastle United amid Ruben Neves transfer rumors

Liverpool great Jamie Carragher has claimed that Newcastle United should not be allowed to loan in Al-Hilal star Ruben Neves in January.

Newcastle United, who are owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, have recently been rumored to sign Neves on a loan move in the winter transfer window. They are in the pole position to lure the Portuguese star away from the PIF-owned club, according to TEAMtalk.

The Magpies' pursuit of the former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain comes after £60 million signing Sandro Tonali's betting-related ban. The club's potential interest in the 26-year-old midfielder could have been outlawed, but seven Premier League teams opposed a temporary ban on deals between related clubs earlier this week.

Speaking on Sky Bet's Stick To Football show, Carragher elaborated:

"When you talk about Newcastle United and you talk about Neves and it's just almost like a rumor. When you think about Tonali, Newcastle have bought a player from AC Milan, and you could argue, strongly, that Newcastle haven't done their due diligence."

Carragher, who represented Liverpool 737 times in his career, added:

"They don't know enough about what's going on in this guy's private life, they've then spent a lot of money and now they're going to lose the player. Now that should hurt them as a club because they haven't done things the right way."

Claiming that Newcastle should pay for their mistake, Carragher said:

"So they shouldn't then be allowed to go and get Neves – who is a £50 million player – for free, on a loan, because they've made a mistake. If they've made a mistake, they should almost pay for it – like you would do with scouting and bringing players in."

Liverpool urged to sign a holding midfielder

During an interview with Squawka, ex-Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson asserted that his former club should attempt to add a defensive midfielder to their ranks next January. He said:

"I always think the defensive midfield role is a key role for a title-winning team. They are the anchor for the whole team and a good one can raise the whole team's performance. They are probably going to need a natural anchor man, because [Alexis] Mac Allister and [Dominik] Szoboszlai want to be further forward."

Jurgen Klopp's outfit, who are second in the 2023-24 Premier League table with 27 points from 12 outings, spent close to £145 million on four midfielders ahead of the ongoing campaign. They roped in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.

As for now, Liverpool have used Mac Allister mostly in a number six role with Endo as a backup choice. They also have Stefan Bajcetic as a promising option, but the star is recovering from a calf problem.