John Barnes Claims Only Three Players Could Replace Mane, Salah And Firmino In Liverpool's XI

John Barnes has insisted that only Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the only players who could replace one of Liverpool's stellar front three.

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino have become the integral trident attack force in Jurgen Klopp's starting XI for the Reds.

And Liverpool are now preparing to strengthen in the summer to mount a successful title defence in the new Premier League season.

The Reds have been linked with a move for both Bayern Munich star Thiago and Wolves winger Adama Traore.

However, Barnes has sent a clear warning to Traore that he won't be "guaranteed a place" ahead of Mane, Salah and Firmino.

The 56-year-old Liverpool hero told BonusCodeBets: "Yes -- he [Traore] would fit into the team as long as he doesn't expect to take over from the front three, which is the big problem for anybody coming into the team.

"If they want to come to Liverpool and say, 'We want to be one of the first players on the team sheet to play ahead of those front three,' that's probably not going to happen.

"And I do think that Traore wants to be guaranteed a place, which is unlikely to happen unless you're Mbappe, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo.

"The issue with many players is that the moment they're not playing they're complaining, which has a huge effect on team morale and team spirit.

"It's a question of whether Traore will be ok to come to Liverpool and be happy without his first name on the team in terms of the front three with an attitude of 'I feel I can and I'm willing to fight for my place; but without any guarantees.'

"Then that's all well and good and if so, he would definitely be a player who could fit into what Liverpool wants.

"However, that's not to say he's going to take over from any of the front three."

Traore, whose current deal expires in 2023, has seen his stock significantly rise after he impressed with Wolves last season.

The 24-year-old Liverpool target, who can also be deployed as a wing-back, scored six times and registered 12 assists across all competitions last season.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers, John Barnes, Football News, Football, REds, Adama Traore, Lionel Messi, Roberto Firmino, Premier League, Wolves, Sadio Mane, Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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