Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James believes that Jurgen Klopp should consider the long-term implications of a move for Bayern Munich defender David Alaba.

With Virgil van Dijk set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines and Fabinho suffering injury woes of his own, Liverpool have been linked with a swoop for Alaba, who will see his contract at Bayern expire next year.

The Austria international is capable of playing in the heart of defence or as a left-back, and while James has described Alaba as a "phenomenal player", the former England goalkeeper has questioned how the signing of the Bayern man would fit into Liverpool's long-term plan.

Speaking to Stadium Astro, James said: "I'm just trying to work out what system they would play if they had him in the side.

"He is a phenomenal player. Watching him in the Champions League, he is scary going forward. Liverpool would want him - any top six of English clubs would want him.

"But it's what you do once you've got him. These short-term fixes have long-term consequences because you end up pushing someone further down the line. It's whether it fits into the Liverpool plan.

"One thing Liverpool have been very good at over the years is their recruitment, since Klopp took over, so if they weren't thinking about him before they wouldn't be one of their targets."

Alaba has started five of Bayern's Bundesliga games in the 2020-21 campaign and scored his first goal of the season in the weekend victory over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker.