Ex-Liverpool defender Glen Johnson says his former club should be looking to sign the likes of Leicester’s Youri Tielemans and Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz on the cheap during the January transfer window.

Both midfielders have been heavily linked with Arsenal in recent months but, with the two players nearing the end of their contracts, Johnson says it would make sense to sign them considering how little they would cost:

“I’d definitely be looking to sign (Tielemans). If it’s safer to secure it now and pay a small fee then I’d do that. I wouldn’t run the risk of allowing anyone else to have him for free. He’s the sort of player that could fit into a team relatively straightforwardly. (Luiz) is another good player.”

“Liverpool probably do need two or three players in the midfield and if you can snap these sorts of players up, that have Premier League experience, for relatively cheap or even better on a free, then it’s a no-brainer.”

It is an interesting claim made by Johnson. Out of the two, Luiz is probably the more likely candidate to arrive at Anfield. Reports in the Italian press over the past week have posited a potential swap deal involving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

An approach for Tielemans has been suggested by many pundits and fans but it appears that Liverpool’s recruitment team have never seriously considered a move for the Belgian international. His style of play is not thought to be a good fit for Jurgen Klopp’s system.