Carragher's Lament: How Liverpool Let Declan Rice Slip Away to Arsenal

Liverpool's title defence has crumbled spectacularly. After winning the Premier League at a canter in 2024/25 under Arne Slot's first year in charge, the Reds have limped to sixth place after 23 games, sitting just one point above Chelsea and with their form table reading a miserable 12th.

The summer spending spree that was supposed to cement a dynasty now looks distinctly dodgy. Over £400million was splashed out, with headline signings Florian Wirtz (£100m from Bayer Leverkusen), Alexander Isak (£125m initial fee from Newcastle on deadline day), and Hugo Ekitike arriving. Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz departed—a dramatic shift in philosophy that has left the Reds lacking the intensity they once possessed.

The energy drain has been palpable. But according to Jamie Carragher, the real problem isn't what went in or out in attack—it's the engine room that needs fixing.

Speaking to The Athletic, the 48-year-old legend has pinpointed central midfield as Liverpool's most pressing summer requirement. And he's got a very specific target in mind: Declan Rice.

"Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister are genuinely excellent," Carragher explained, "but you end up with two or three midfielders lacking real physicality in that area."

The Arsenal midfielder, however, stands apart. "Every time I watch him, he jumps out," Carragher continued. "That's precisely what Liverpool need. He's the modern-day Roy Keane in my book—not a Stevie Gerrard type, because Stevie was more of an attacking force. Roy did everything: pressed high, reclaimed possession from deep, the lot. Declan does all that too."

The praise doesn't stop there. Rice's set-piece delivery rivals anything across Europe, his passing is sublime, and his physical dominance means opponents simply can't breeze past him. Yet somehow, Carragher reckons he still doesn't get the credit he deserves.

The real sting for Liverpool fans? The timing. When Rice was available in summer 2023—precisely when Henderson and Fabinho were departing—the Reds didn't move. Arsenal did, and the rest is history.

"That was the window to sign him," Carragher lamented. "One player replacing two, because he could fill both the Fabinho role and the Henderson one—the pressing, the leadership, everything. Oh God, I'd have loved to see him in a Liverpool shirt."

If Arsenal win the league this season, Carragher believes Rice will finally receive the widespread recognition his performances deserve. And with England's World Cup on the horizon, the midfielder has every opportunity to cement his status as one of Europe's elite. For Liverpool, meanwhile, the regret just keeps piling up.