Liverpool have made three senior signings this summer but Andoni Iroala has been told he must bring in some more reinforcements
Andoni Iraola
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been told to strengthen his squad(Image: Getty)
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Liverpool legend Phil Thompson believes the club still need up to five new signings and has named three positions that the Reds must prioritise. Andoni Iraola is set for his first season at Anfield, but Thompson has expressed doubts about the squad's ability to challenge for the Premier League title.
The 72-year-old particularly worries about the defensive options at Iraola's disposal ahead of Liverpool's opening game against Newcastle. Centre-back Ibrahima Konate and experienced full-back Andy Robertson have both left at the end of their contracts.
Jeremy Jacquet has subsequently arrived from Rennes, while Barcelona's Ronald Araujo has joined on loan for the season to bolster the club's back-line. However, former defender Thompson is adamant that up to five new players are needed, specifically name-checking the defence, midfield and out wide as areas to strengthen.
Speaking on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, in partnership with BOYLE Sports, he said: "Defensively, we do need more. It is a particular area if Jacquet isn't fully ready, who is going to be there? It's a difficult one. We still need recruitment.
"I think we probably need four, maybe five players in total in different positions. Defensively, certainly, a midfield player, a wide player; you need two quality players for every position. There's work to be done."
Phil Thompson
Liverpool legend Thompson has made his thoughts clear(Image: Getty)
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Despite Thompson's call for urgency in the transfer market, Liverpool are continuing their lengthy pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola. Meanwhile, with owners Fenway Sports Group offloading a minority stake in the club for approximately £1.4billion last week, the former captain can envisage huge transfers materialising.
"The finance side of it, we could spend that money because we've done very, very well in sales," he added. "And when you look at it, just the investment in which we get into the football club, the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, when you see them travelling the world, it shows that they are the two biggest football clubs.
"People want to invest in them, so you have that, and I think it contributes towards a better buying power even with the restrictions that you have."
Regardless of who arrives at Anfield before the transfer window shuts, the team is entering a new era under the guidance of new manager Iraola. Seven-time league winner Thompson is optimistic that Iraola will win over Liverpool supporters, but has warned the ex-Bournemouth manager that he is facing a much different task.
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"Change can be good, change can be bad. You change because things have been going wrong - it's not like Jurgen Klopp leaving on a high," Thompson continued. "Things have gone wrong, so you need a new manager, new ideas, you need the players to tap into him as quickly as possible. Arne Slot came in and surprised us all by winning the league. The players invested in that from Jurgen Klopp.
"Hopefully this time there is a difference. We've got to get the intensity back; we've got to get the fans back on board, in which everything has been lost, and that's what he did at Bournemouth. [But] Bournemouth is not Liverpool. The big thing about it is that Bournemouth, a lot of the time, were almost the underdogs in games and played a lot of counter-attacking football.
"With Liverpool, one of the biggest problems is breaking down packed defences. This is where he's got to find that ingredient with someone like Florian Wirtz, where do you get the best out of him, and to have Alexander Isak firing, that can do them a lot of good."
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