COMMENT: The Reds are sleepwalking into a crisis.
Liverpool FC v AS Monaco - Pre-Season Friendly
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is being left out to dry (Image: Getty)
The contrast in mood between Liverpool’s 2025 summer transfer window and this year is stark. On the back of a Premier League triumph the season prior, the Liverpool board went big and backed Arne Slot to the tune of £440million.
Among the new arrivals were the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, who joined for a combined £320m. Fast forward 12 months and Liverpool have been much quieter, with youngsters Víctor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet the only players they’ve spent money on, while Ronald Arujo has arrived from Barcelona on loan.
Liverpool aren’t said to be done for business just yet, given they remain in desperate need of attacking reinforcements following the departure of Mohamed Salah. But it’s one piece of business going out of the club that could leave new boss Andoni Iraola in the lurch.
Curtis Jones is set to complete his long-awaited move worth £30m from Liverpool to Inter Milan, with the saga having dragged out for the majority of the summer. The local lad struggled for minutes under the previous manager and is looking to get his career back on track.
But it’s back at Liverpool where this could pose the bigger problem, given the Reds’ current midfield options are by no means plentiful. Realistically speaking, their midfield department consists of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Trey Nyoni and Wataru Endo.
Liverpool FC v Leeds United - Pre-Season Friendly
Curtis Jones' departure has left Liverpool desperate for midfield additions (Image: Getty)
In the case of Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Mac Allister, that is the midfield that helped Liverpool to their 2024/25 title win, but the needle has certainly shifted since then. Szoboszlai was the glue that kept things together last year, but relying on the Hungarian to carry Liverpool’s midfield once again would be foolish because it risks him being burnt out.
There are doubts that Gravenberch is suited to Iraola’s tactics, while Mac Allister’s form has dropped off a cliff in the past 12 months, with no suggestion he’ll be able to return to his best. As for Nyoni and Endo, they are depth pieces at best and can’t be considered as genuine starters.
It’s the sort of situation that could derail a campaign before it’s even got going. Whether it’s Adam Wharton, Alex Scott or someone else, Liverpool simply cannot end the transfer window with their current midfield options. It would be negligent at best.