The former centre-forward played for both clubs and also says Mohamed Salah must be convinced to accept a change of role if he is to stay with Liverpool beyond this season.
Morientes told Tribalfootball.com: “What’s been happening to Liverpool is similar to what’s been happening at Real Madrid: they’re not quite getting the results. Liverpool were used to winning, and their biggest star is Salah.
“The thing is, Salah, like everyone else, is getting older, and new players keep emerging. What’s clear is that what Salah has done for Liverpool is something very few players will ever do, in terms of goals, influence and leadership.
“I think he can still have an impact, but probably not as much as he did in the past. That said, many players become legends because of everything they’ve done and because of what they contribute to the team from a different role, and Salah could be one of them.
“I’m thinking, for example, of Griezmann, a player we don’t see in the starting XI every week, but who has a secondary role and accepts it well.
“If Salah accepts something similar, he’ll surely still be important for Liverpool as they are now. What I don’t know is whether he’ll be happy with that role or whether he’ll want to look for another project where he can be the leader.”
Goalscoring issues
Morientes also has questioned the thinking behind Liverpool's buying in the summer. The Spaniard believes Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, before his injury, have shown they do not complement Liverpool's other attacking options.
He continued: "They’ve signed players by simply spending huge amounts of money, but that doesn’t automatically tell you which buttons to press to make everything work.
“Football is very unpredictable and sometimes the more you spend, the less you get in return. So far, the players haven’t adapted well.
“As a group, they haven’t really clicked either, and that’s why Liverpool are struggling so much at the moment. I don’t see them as clear contenders to win the Premier League, and I also find it hard to see them as genuine Champions League contenders.
“However, they do have something others don’t: those signings they made because of their talent could, at any moment, suddenly explode and completely change the team’s momentum. I see it as difficult, but it could happen."
- Fernando Morientes was speaking to Tribalfootball on behalf of Casino.org