Andoni Iraola knew he would be without several key players at the start of pre-season, but he was right to point out Liverpool’s concerning squad depth.
Speaking to the media after arriving for the Reds’ three US tour friendlies, the new head coach did not sugarcoat the reality of his squad options.
When asked about the club’s transfer priorities this summer, Iraola, while unable to put a number on how many new players were needed, was candid.
“There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players,” he said. “A winger, for example – we definitely need to sign a winger.”
He went on to add: “With the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now, so I think it’s a solution that we are trying to find, yes.”
It was not an outburst or the beginning of making excuses, but a calm and accurate assessment of a squad that needs investment if Iraola is to be set up for success.
And he was right to sound the alarm.
Liverpool cannot wait on Conor Bradley
Liverpool’s defensive issues, primarily at right-back, have created an unfortunate situation of trusting a player’s long-term future (Conor Bradley) against managing the short-term needs.
Bradley is the club’s long-term answer at right-back, but his significant knee injury means he is still “months away” from returning, as Iraola confirmed on Tuesday.
“I think it’s a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning,” the head coach said.
Moreover, with Ibrahima Konate having left for Real Madrid and Giovanni Leoni still not ready to mark his return from an ACL tear, the backline is severely stretched.
With Virgil van Dijk returning to training next week, initially at the AXA, Iraola knows he has only his captain, Joe Gomez, and Jeremy Jacquet as senior centre-back options, and Jeremie Frimpong as his lone right-back.
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Player Status / Availability
Right-Back / Cover
Jeremie Frimpong Fit / Lone Senior RB
Conor Bradley Out (“Months away” – Knee)
Joe Gomez Fit (Primarily CB)
Centre-Back
Virgil van Dijk Fit / Senior Option
Jeremy Jacquet Fit / Senior Option
Giovanni Leoni Out (Rehab – ACL)
Joe Gomez Fit (Provides RB cover)
When you consider Gomez will also provide depth at right-back, it is bleak in a part of the field that saw only Van Dijk avoid injury last season.
Teenage duo Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye are exciting prospects, but they are just that: up-and-comers.
If Liverpool can sign a versatile right-back and an experienced centre-back, they can put Iraola in a position that enables him to rotate and not rush anyone back from long-term injuries.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, March 9, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg match between Galatasaray Sk and Liverpool FC. (Photo by Jessica Hornby/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, March 9, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg match between Galatasaray Sk and Liverpool FC. (Photo by Jessica Hornby/Propaganda)
They cannot afford to all be stop-gaps, as Van Dijk and Gomez are both out of contract, for example, meaning it is a situation that needs to be favourable for the present and the future.
Iraola will have his preferences, and that may be part of the delay, though it has seen them miss out on the likes of Marcos Senesi (Tottenham), Jan Paul van Hecke (Tottenham), and likely Maxence Lacroix.
John Stones on a free transfer may appeal if experience and depth are at the top of the wishlist, and with a view to triggering Jarell Quansah‘s buyback clause next summer, but there will be concerns over wage demands and his injury record.
Liverpool’s defence is in a delicate position, and Iraola saying it is “very thin right now” might be an understatement.
Replacing Mohamed Salah’s output
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah receives the Golden Samba in his final match for the clu after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. The game ended 1-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah receives the Golden Samba in his final match for the clu after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. The game ended 1-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
A similar headache is unfolding in attack with currently four fit options, one long-term injury and one player expected to depart.
Liverpool will have anticipated looking to life after Mohamed Salah next summer, with a desire to end his contract early not foreseen when he signed his two-year extension.
While the summer’s only signing to date, Victor Munoz, is an exciting addition, Liverpool know they have a significant goal tally to replace after Salah’s 23.8 percent contribution to all goals scored since 2017/18.
It is not a tally a single player can replace; instead, Iraola needs a supporting cast of attackers who can feed off one another and spread the load, a task made harder by Hugo Ekitike‘s long-term injury.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 20, 2025: Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike is replaced by substitute Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield. The 247th Merseyside Derby. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 20, 2025: Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike is replaced by substitute Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield. The 247th Merseyside Derby. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“We cannot expect to sign a winger that is going to replace Mo Salah because, otherwise, we are preparing him to fail almost” – Andoni Iraola
Yan Diomande’s snub was a notable blow, and Paris Saint-Germain‘s price tag in excess of £120 million for Bradley Barcola is an exorbitant markup on his transfer value (£55m per FotMob).
Liverpool are in the unfortunate situation of needing to address key positions in a market that has been heavily inflated by Man City, again, deciding to splash the cash on Elliot Anderson.
An attacking unit of Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, Alexander Isak and Munoz should offer a strong foundation.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, February 10, 2026: Bournemouth's Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha celebrates after scoring his side's first and equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Bournemouth AFC at Bramley-Moore Dock. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, February 10, 2026: Bournemouth's Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha celebrates after scoring his side's first and equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Bournemouth AFC at Bramley-Moore Dock. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
However, with Ekitike unlikely to play again until 2027, and question marks remaining over Isak’s ability to string games together, the safety net up top is not as secure as Iraola would have liked.
Bournemouth‘s Rayan, who Iraola knows well, could be an option to add depth across the attack as a player who favours the right wing but can play on the left and through the middle.
This would enable minutes to be shared across four competitions and, hopefully, give Ekitike the breathing space not to have to perform as soon as he is declared fit to do so.
The needs are clear, but it is not just the flanks that need attention.
The recruitment team must back their coach
Liverpool have another long, intense season ahead of them, and they need to ensure Iraola is armed with the options to deploy the intensity his style demands with few compromises.
The club have shown in the past that missing out on their top transfer target is not the end of the world, but they need to deliver signings that improve on the squad Iraola inherited.
The messy situation is not helped by Michael Edwards‘ recent exit nor Richard Hughes seemingly preparing for his move to Saudi Arabia at the end of the window.
Yet, Liverpool’s needs remain clear. Iraola underlined that and the reality of the squad without kicking up a fuss at the start of the three-stop US tour.
If Liverpool want to win now, the club have to identify the players Iraola can mould in his image, even if it needs to borrow Jurgen Klopp‘s early philosophy of being greater than the sum of your parts.