Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists a striker is new priority this summer

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool must make signing a striker or a winger a priority during the summer transfer window.

Liverpool face a battle to hold onto a top four finish and earn qualification for next season's Champions League. Not too long ago, however, they were Chelsea's closest challengers for the Premier League crown, having been sat just six points off the summit of the table at the half-way point in the season.

Their season destabilised in January, when they picked up just one win in nine matches. That period coincided with Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane missing first-team action due to injury and international commitments respectively.

Danny Ings meanwhile has missed the season due to another long-term knee injury while Daniel Sturridge has again struggled with persistent fitness problems. Klopp says those issues have left him short of options in the final third – something he wants to rectify at the end of the season.

The Liverpool boss adds he believes there will be changes "in a few positions" as he looks to continue building his own squad.

"We will show that we learned from this year," Klopp told a press conference ahead of Wednesday's Premier League clash against Bournemouth. "The squad will change in a few positions, we will still have young players in the squad.

"The problems we had in January and February, the injury of Phil [Coutinho], Sadio [Mane] in January, Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge, should we have another striker or winger? Yes. It felt like this in other moments. Next year with more games we need more options. That is clear."

Liverpool currently sit in third place – 10 points behind leaders Chelsea and three behind second placed Tottenham – having played a game in hand. They have also played a game more than fourth place Manchester City and two more than Manchester United (fifth) and Arsenal (sixth).

They are in action against Eddie Howe's side at Anfield on Wednesday with Sturridge hoping to be involved for the first time since early February.