Liverpool are gearing up for a crucial summer transfer window under new manager Andoni Iraola
The 2025/26 season was one to forget for Liverpool. The club spent over £400m on new signings, blitzing the transfer window with huge signings including two players coming in at over the £100m mark - Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. While the former really wasn’t the flop some made him out to be, the latter’s season was derailed by a broken leg after scoring just three goals in his first handful of months at Anfield.
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The Reds failed to retain their Premier League title, went out of both the FA Cup and Champions League at the quarter-final stage, and attracted criticism for the rather conservative style of football they were playing under Arne Slot. He was given his marching orders less than a week after conclusion of the campaign.
A new era now begins, with ex-Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola taking the helm. The Spanish coach excelled during his time on the south coast, leading the Cherries all the way to European football. He’ll be looking to put his own stamp on Liverpool, and bring back the attacking flair that was so sorely lacking under Slot last season.
Before next season gets underway, the club will be looking to fine tune their squad. With stalwarts Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson now gone, the race is on to find suitable replacements, and the Reds have already been linked with a host of new signings. Here are six players Liverpool could sign this summer, as their transfer plan starts to take shape.
The big Liverpool could make this summer - Diomande to Vuskovic
Yan Diomande - RB Leipzig: The young winger has been tipped to dazzle at the World Cup this summer, as he heads to North America with the Ivory Coast. Aged just 19, the wonderkid winger had a memorable debut Bundesliga campaign, blitzing his way to 12 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances.
He’s been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool for a number of weeks, with numerous reports suggesting he’s their number one target to replace Salah, and some going as far as to claim personal terms are already agreed. The issue? RB Leipzig’s asking price. They’re said to want a whopping £103m, which would make the deal a serious gamble for Liverpool.
Luka Vuskovic - Tottenham: Spurs are set for a shake-up of their own this summer, having only just avoided relegation on the final day of last season. New manager Roberto De Zerbi is set to clear out the deadwood, which is said to include promising Croatian defender Vuskovic, who spent last season on loan with Hamburger SV.
According to reports, the Reds have identified an opportunity to sign the 19-year-old, who will face off against England in their World Cup opener against Croatia next week. He’s apparently seen as a potential replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who left Liverpool upon the expiry of his contract and is set to join Real Madrid, alongside incoming new manager Jose Mourinho.
Iliman Ndiaye - Everton: A bit of a left-field shout, but the Toffees winger continues to be linked with a move to Anfield. The rumour mill suggests he’s currently in somewhat of a contract standoff with his club, and could look to leave this summer if new terms aren’t agreed. Chelsea, Man United, Man City and Arsenal have also been namechecked as potential suitors.
We gave our verdict on this rumour last week: when there are so many clubs named, it does give the impression of ‘agent talk’ rather than a genuine story. I.e., representatives upping the pressure on the club to meet the demands of their client via coverage in the press. That could just be cynicism on our part, of course, and there’s no denying the player could do well at all the clubs mentioned, including Liverpool.
The big Liverpool could make this summer - Trincao to Barcola
Francisco Trincao - Sporting CP: This a story which is a starting to gather pace, with the Portuguese talent said to have a release clause in the region of £50m. While he’s played in a central attacking role most of this season, the 26-year-old is naturally a right-winger, and could be a cheaper, albeit somewhat less exciting, alternative to Diomande.
He bagged 13 goals and contributed a whopping 15 assists for his side last season, and is also renowned for his stamina and ability to play week in, week out. Trincao has appeared in the Premier League before, with a largely underwhelming loan spell at Wolves back in 2021/22, but he’s now very much a player in his prime, and has racked up 17 caps for Portugal.
Eduardo Camavinga - Real Madrid: The ex-Rennes midfielder is said to be looking for a way out of the Bernabeu this summer, after being left out of France’s squad for the World Cup. The Reds, along with Man United, have been linked with Camavinga, but it’s worth noting that more recent rumours have suggested he’s ready to fight for his place in the side under Mourinho.
Los Blancos will be looking to sell in the upcoming window, to fund their own big revamp after the 2025/26 season saw them do the unthinkable - go a season without winning a trophy. If Los Blancos do decide to sell, Camavinga will have to accept his fate, and could certainly add some real dynamism and quality to the heart of Liverpool’s midfield.
Bradley Barcola - Paris Saint-Germain: Another Diomande alternative, Barcola is believed to have been monitored by Liverpool for some time. He’s a similarly eye-catching winger who brings bags of pace and flair, and is another player whose contract status is still uncertain - it’s currently set to run until 2028, and there’s been speculation that PSG could look to cash in if an agreement isn’t reached soon.
It’s said that a fee in the region of £86m could be enough to land Barcola if that’s the case, sitting in between the likely sums required to sign Trincao or Diomande. Should another rival make a move for the former and the latter be deemed just too costly, then the Reds’ interest in Barcola just might start to accelerate.
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