Jamie Carragher thinks he may have spotted a potential transfer alternative for Liverpool in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta. The former Reds defender though concedes he might not be a player Arne Slot will be keen on.

Paqueta is no stranger to being linked with a move to one of the Premier League’s top clubs, having been close to a move to Manchester City in 2023 before an FA investigation was launched into allegations of breaches of betting rules.

The Brazilian though hasn’t really been touted as an option for Liverpool in the past. That hasn’t stopped him from impressing Carragher though, with the Reds legend suggesting he could prove to be a surprise transfer option for Slot.

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Speaking during The Overlap’s Fan Debate, Carragher said: “I was commentating on West Ham – I’m just watching Paqueta thinking ‘oh my’.

“Every time he brought the ball down on his chest or on his shoulder, he was like a little bit of a throwback, where I was actually thinking – would Liverpool sign him?”

Carragher though did concede there might be an issue that prevents Paqueta from becoming a serious option for the Reds during the summer transfer window.

“I look at his lack of athleticism, and think ‘would that stop a top team [signing him]’,” Carragher added. “I think of Liverpool, [and] I was actually thinking, Slot would probably prefer [Dominik] Szoboszlai than maybe a Paqueta.”

Carragher’s comments come after he admitted to not being wholly impressed with Szoboszlai since the Hungarian made the move to Anfield. Although the 24-year-old has managed to make himself a regular in Slot’s side, Carragher remains unconvinced.

“I’m not Dominik Szoboszlai’s biggest fan, but he’s got great athleticism,” Carragher told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “He gets talked about as Liverpool’s no.10 and people say he’s great off the ball, but he’s a no.10 and only scored three goals.”

Liverpool.com says: Liverpool could probably do with Szoboszlai adding more goals to his game. The Reds can’t rely on Mohamed Salah forever, especially if he’s to leave this summer, and the goals will need to be shared out more once the Egyptian does depart.

Paqueta is undoubtedly a good player - you don’t get interest from City unless you are - but as Carragher points out, would he really work at Liverpool? As much as the former defender isn’t convinced by Szoboszlai, the Hungarian is perfect for the way the Reds play, so we wouldn’t be looking for a way to replace him.