Eamon Dunphy: Maybe we need poverty and military dictatorships to breed great players again

Football pundit Eamon Dunphy has said that maybe professional football needs more poverty and military dictatorships if the sport is to address what he perceives as a shortage in great players.

The former Ireland midfielder said that Real Madrid and Barcelona were not the sides that they used to be following Sunday night's El Clásico and that Liverpool will need to sign three or four top class players to address shortages in their squad.

"They are all going to be fishing in a small pool", Dunphy said on 2fm's Game On. "There has never been as much money in the game and there's never been such a shortage of top quality players. Maybe we need more poverty and military dictatorships to breed great players again. "Real Madrid and Barcelona are clearly not the sides they were and will look to strengthen over the summer. "Liverpool will need to sign three or four top class players. They need a goalkeeper. There is no question about that. They also need another good central defender and something in midfield. Emre Caan is leaving for Juventus so they need to replace him. "Tottenham need players badly. I think their coach [Mauricio] Pochettino will go at the first opportunity he gets. Also, some of their players like Toby Alderweireld, Harry Kane and Deli Ali - will they stay there? "I think Roman Abramovich is finished spending big money at Chelsea because he realises he can't compete with PSG and Manchester City."

Pochettino said last week that his future at Spurs would be in the hands of chairman Daniel Levy and that he only decides about the starting XI at the club. "Am I going to sign? It's a question for Daniel. I am not (Arsene) Wenger or (Sir Alex) Ferguson who decides about their own future. I decide only about the starting XI in this football club. "That is up to Daniel, does he want to offer or not? I am a person who is never going to ask to improve my salary or extend my contract, or anything like this." He has three years remaining on his current contract.