With reports continuing to link Andoni Iraola to Liverpool, Jamie Carragher had a stern warning about a potential issue which may arise this summer
Jamie Carragher speaking in an interview with the Overlap
Jamie Carragher spoke honestly about some concerns he has(Image: YouTube/The Overlap)
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Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool's £375million quartet Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Alexis Max Allister and Hugo Ekitike may struggle with Andoni Iraola's playing style. Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike were all signed last season in an unprecedented transfer window at Anfield.
Ekitike was the most impressive out of the expensive trio, while Mac Allister also endured a difficult campaign. Since Arne Slot was sacked by the club, Iraola has been the favourite to takeover the club.
Carragher believes the ex-Bournemouth manager's style of play is similar to Jurgen Klopp's rock and roll football, which requires high pressing and high energy from start to finish. If Iraola is hired, Carragher believes the aforementioned trio will struggle with the demands.
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On The Overlap Fan Debate, Carragher said: "My worry with that, is when we’re talking about Iraola, we go back to that style. Of course, a manager plays his style, but they’ve recruited for Arne Slot’s style, which was not quite Jurgen Klopp; it’s a bit more control.
"Now, when we’re saying the football wasn’t great, you’re right. It wasn’t. It was slow, laborious, but it wasn’t a case of the manager being defensive.
"He had a lot of attacking players on the pitch. My thing is now Isak, Wirtz, Ekitike, I’m not sure they are those type of players. That’s my worry.
Alexander Isak of Liverpool FC and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool FC look dejected during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Liverpool FC at Frankfurt Stadion on October 22, 2025 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Isak and Wirtz both found transitioning to Liverpool challenging(Image: 2025 DeFodi Images)
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"When we said the football was slow, the press wasn’t there. It was because we had Wirtz and Mac Allister in there. Isak doesn’t press. Ekitike doesn’t really press.
"So you almost brought these talented players in, and they couldn’t play this style that we associated with Klopp, we saw bits of in his first season, and Liverpool went the other way.”
Last season, injuries disrupted Isak's debut campaign at Liverpool. His pre-season was disrupted by his drawn out transfer saga with former club Newcastle United and he also missed the bulk of his matches when he broke his leg just before Christmas.
Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool, Vitinha of PSG, Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England
Carragher also believes Wirtz and Mac Allister may also find life challenging(Image: 2026 Jean Catuffe)
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Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike contributed 28 goals and 17 assists between the three of them in all competitions. Meanwhile, Mac Allister also endured a season of inconsistency.
The World Cup winner was instrumental when Liverpool won the Premier League in Slot's debut campaign, but his performances took a dip in the 2025-26 season. He still made 55 appearances in all competitions, contributing five goals and seven assists.
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