Rio Ferdinand thinks Liverpool head coach Arne Slot regrets selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich in the summer, insisting Cody Gakpo isn\u2019t \u201cbetter\u201d.<\/p>\n
Liverpool<\/a> sit seventh in the Premier League table<\/a> \u2014 behind Manchester United, Sunderland and Bournemouth \u2014 after losing four of their opening nine matches.<\/p>\n After winning their first five games of the campaign, the Reds have endured a miserable run since, losing four in a row. Questions are being asked of new signings Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak<\/a> and Milos Kerkez, while centre-backs Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk have also struggled.<\/p>\n Liverpool\u2019s awful start to 2025\/26: Key statistics<\/p>\n Seven points behind leaders Arsenal and seven ahead of 17th-placed Fulham It was a summer of change at Anfield as Liverpool spent over \u00a3400million in the transfer window<\/a>, bringing in Isak and Wirtz for over \u00a3100m each.<\/p>\n Slot and his players are going through a period of transition after winning the title at a canter, with Mohamed Salah<\/a>, Van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister among those experiencing a dramatic downturn in form.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth saying the Liverpool squad deserves some slack after Diogo Jota\u2019s tragic passing in July. This season should be a free hit and they almost should be exempt from criticism. It\u2019s incomprehensible what they must be going through in the early months of 2025\/26.<\/p>\n Slot\u2019s preferred front three should be Salah, Isak and Hugo Ekitike when everyone is fit, though Gakpo has started 12 of Liverpool\u2019s 13 games so far.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old Dutch international has scored in two of Liverpool\u2019s four recent Premier League defeats and is someone Slot heavily relies on after losing Jota and selling Diaz to Bayern.<\/p>\n Liverpool deserve praise for Diaz sale, not Ferdinand\u2019s criticism<\/p>\n Bayern paid an initial \u00a360.5m for Diaz and are expected to pay another \u00a35m in instalments.<\/p>\n For a player who wanted to leave \u2014 and that\u2019s probably the most important point \u2014 Liverpool struck a very favourable deal, one that reflects very well on their transfer team led by Michael Edwards.<\/p>\n Yes, Diaz is a good player, but he was inconsistent for Liverpool, turns 29 in January, and was into the final two years of his contract.<\/p>\n MORE ON LIVERPOOL ON F365 Despite all of this, getting over \u00a365m for the Colombian wasn\u2019t \u201cgood business\u201d, according to Manchester United legend Ferdinand.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Diaz leaving, I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s good business,\u201d he said on the Rio Ferdinand\u00a0Presents podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s a top player, Diaz. Being allowed to leave the club, have they replaced him with anything better? Is Gakpo better? I would say no, no chance.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not functioning, they\u2019re not playing as well. The new players that have come in have probably unbalanced the team a little bit with the way the manager is trying to play it.\u201d<\/p>\n Rio Ferdinand completely wrong about Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo<\/p>\n The finances involved in the sale of Diaz were spectacular from Liverpool\u2019s point of view, yet it\u2019s proved to be a favourable transfer for everyone involved.<\/p>\n Diaz has registered seven goals and four assists in 13 matches for Bayern, and while those numbers are impressive, he wouldn\u2019t be single-handedly carrying this Liverpool team if he\u2019d stayed. They have massive problems all over the pitch, namely in defence and defensive midfield.<\/p>\n Ferdinand is right about one thing: the Reds aren\u2019t functioning properly, with new signings like Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong making them look unbalanced. But that\u2019s something everyone knows.<\/p>\n Selling both Luis D\u00edaz and Darwin N\u00fa\u00f1ez in the summer was a mistake.<\/p>\n Our offensive press has definitely fallen off and that\u2019s hurting our structure.<\/p>\n Those two both knew how to press, at the very least. And there would have been a bit more consistency in our team.<\/p>\n
\nFour league defeats in a row \u2014 Liverpool\u2019s worst losing run in 32 years
\nFourth reigning Premier League champions to lose four consecutive games
\nThe Reds could fall to ninth on Sunday<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Arsenal told to \u2018be more PSG\u2019 as Liverpool ridiculously urged to drop Van Dijk<\/a>
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Liverpool: Slot told to find \u2018solutions\u2019 or face pressure to keep his job at Anfield<\/a>
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Scholes picks out two signings at Liverpool who are concerning him: \u2018He has struggled\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n