Dietmar Hamann has dismissed Liverpool's chances of finishing in the Premier League top four this season and believes the club have "badly overspent" on their current squad. The former Liverpool midfielder, a European champion with the Reds in 2005, questioned the impact of recent signings and the team's ability to close the gap on last season's title challengers.
Poor start under Iraola
Liverpool have endured an indifferent start to their top-flight campaign under new head coach Andoni Iraola. They were beaten 3-0 at home by Manchester City last weekend and have won just two of their opening six Premier League games. They visit fourth-placed Brentford on Saturday, having earned a confidence-boosting 6-3 Champions League win at LASK in Austria in midweek.
Hamann does not envisage his former club threatening anywhere near the summit this season. "Finishing in the top four for Liverpool this season will be a success, but I don't see it happening," he said. "I don't see closing that 25-point gap with Arsenal from last year.
"This season they've got a fight on their hands to finish in the top four. City and Arsenal are guaranteed if there is no points deduction this season, Chelsea doesn't have European football, and you have the likes of Brighton and Brentford, who have made an impressive start. Then I expect Man United to turn things around at some stage, depending on what happens with the manager."
Transfer spending questioned
Liverpool stumbled into the Champions League last season with a fifth-place finish that saw Arne Slot sacked as head coach and replaced by Iraola. Hamann added: "Liverpool won't challenge for the league this season, they didn't even finish in the top four last season, they just about secured Champions League football.
"Liverpool's only chance is Iraola getting a tune out of those players brought in last year but so far he hasn't managed it. Granted, Liverpool are never the biggest spenders, but I believe in the summer after winning the title they thought if we spend now, we can dominate for the next four or five years. And in reality, other than (Hugo) Ekitike before his injury, none of those players have stepped up and performed. So they didn't just overspend, they badly overspent."
Having brought in £125million Alexander Isak and £116m Florian Wirtz last year, Liverpool smashed the £100m barrier for a third time this summer by committing £123m on Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. Barcola scored his first Reds goals with a hat-trick against LASK, a game in which Wirtz also impressed.
Wirtz future in doubt
Hamann has been a long-time critic of the Germany international and believes he will be sold at the end of the season. Speaking to Betpack on behalf of the ECHO, Hamann said: "Wirtz has had a handful of good games since he came to the club and most of them have been in the Champions League where the pace is not frantic like in the league and isn't as physically demanding.
"In terms of dropping him, it's not really an option with Gakpo and Isak being out. You just have to hope it clicks at some stage. In all honesty, I don't think it will click. It has been 14-15 months now and that has gone far too long. It won't be a love affair between Liverpool and Wirtz. I think very shortly both parties will be looking for a solution to the problem."
