“They’ve missed a trick” - Emile Heskey makes interesting Liverpool claim involving Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Liverpool forward Emile Heskey believes the Reds have missed a trick by not signing a bonafide No.9 like Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo or Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku.

Speaking on the Early Doors Podcast (via the Liverpool Echo), Heskey said that Liverpool lack a striker capable of scoring more than 20 goals from the middle. That is something Manchester United are expecting from Cristiano Ronaldo this season.

The former Liverpool forward knows that the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will contribute towards scoring, but the same cannot be said about Roberto Firmino. Emile Heskey said:

"Someone who is going to get you 20 goals plus per season and is going to be commanding in the middle as well. I love Firmino. I love the way that he plays but at times I think it needs a little bit something different. Looking at Lukaku going to Chelsea, Manchester United signing Ronaldo, I just think Liverpool could be missing a trick."

“We know that Salah is going to get you 20 plus, we know that Mane is going to get you 15 plus but do we know that Firmino is going to get you 15 plus? We need someone who is going to get you 20/25 plus.”

Unlike their title rivals, Liverpool haven't spent big on bringing in new players during the summer transfer window. The only player Liverpool signed this summer was French U-21 defender Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig for £36 million.

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Liverpool will face Cristiano Ronaldo later this month

Cristiano Ronaldo is due to face Liverpool later this month when Manchester United host their fierce rivals on 24th October. The two fierce rivals are currently separated by just one point after seven league games this season. Manchester United and Liverpool are currently in the midst of a fierce title race along with Chelsea and Manchester City.

Cristiano Ronaldo does not have the best of records against Liverpool. The 36-year-old forward has faced the Reds eight times in the league, but has only scored twice against them. However, Ronaldo is largely a centre-forward now compared to when he faced Liverpool early in his career when he mostly played on the wings.

The last time Ronaldo faced Liverpool was in the final of the 2018 UEFA Champions League in Kyiv, which Real Madrid won. Despite Los Blancos' victory on the night, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had minimal impact on proceedings, as Gareth Bale starred with a brace.