Andoni Iraola, first Liverpool press conference
Andoni Iraola, first Liverpool press conference
Andoni Iraola is confident Liverpool will bring in the players he needs, with the new head coach admitting “we need more” and “the club is working on this.”
Iraola will take his first full session of pre-season on Tuesday, and on Monday morning sat down with the media for his opening press conference.
Having been appointed head coach at the beginning of June, the Spaniard has already seen Jeremy Jacquet arrive at the AXA Training Centre following his £60 million move from Rennes and a £34.5 million deal completed for Victor Munoz.
But with Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate having already left and more gaps needing to be filled, Iraola knows he wants more.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Jeremy Jacquet new signing for Liverpool FC at AXA Training Centre on July 02, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Jeremy Jacquet new signing for Liverpool FC at AXA Training Centre on July 02, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“Obviously we’ve signed two players already, but we need more players. We know this,” he told reporters on Monday.
“The club is working on this. Me as a coach, selfishly you want the players here from day one, ready to train from pre-season, but we understand that football doesn’t work like this.
“I know the club is working hard to get those signings and I’m trying obviously to help also.”
It was maintained after Liverpool’s decision to part ways with Arne Slot and hire Iraola that the new head coach would first look to assess the squad he already has.
But he will already be aware of what he needs to add in order to rewrite the club’s fortunes after a dismal title defence under Slot.
“I talked to the players, I talked to the staff, I talked about the things which were working very well, things we think we can do differently – I wouldn’t say better, differently,” he explained.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Thursday, May 14, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola poses for an official photocall ahead of his first press conference at the AXA Training Centre. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Thursday, May 14, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola poses for an official photocall ahead of his first press conference at the AXA Training Centre. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“I think it’s different. I have the advantage that probably players already know what we are going to demand in terms of style of play, but we will have time to know each other.
“It’s one thing to know a player, to talk to a player, to ask him ‘where do you feel more comfortable?’.
“But after I will see them train, I will make some tests during pre-season, I will feel things. Then I will make decisions from there.”
Football – Liverpool’s new head coach Andoni Iraola
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Thursday, May 14, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola poses for an official photocall ahead of his first press conference at the AXA Training Centre. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Football – FA Premier League – West Ham United FC v Liverpool FC
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's substitute Curtis Jones during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. Liverpool won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)