Liverpool has been linked with a move for a defensive midfielder before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, but head coach Andoni Iraola insists the issue can be solved internally
Liverpool's Spanish head coach Andoni Iraola gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola during his side's 2-2 opening weekend draw at Newcastle United(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
David James supports Andoni Iraola's view that the midfield problems the new Liverpool head coach faced in his first official match in charge cannot be resolved by a last-minute dive into the transfer market.
A major discussion point amongst pundits and fans following the 2-2 stalemate at Newcastle United on Sunday centred on how exposed the Reds appeared in the centre of the pitch. This has prompted demands for the club to provide Iraola with a genuine holding midfielder before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the Liverpool manager has once more emphasised it is a problem he can address from within his current squad.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of Saturday's Anfield encounter with Nottingham Forest, Iraola stated: "We don't want to lose the offensive side, the fluidity, the arrival with numbers, but we were punished the other day especially with the first goal we didn't do a proper lockdown.
"We have been intently working on it. It's nothing new, we always want to control that. But there is a balance, we can't go from one way where we send a lot of people forward to putting everyone back so we don't arrive with numbers and everything looks stale.
"It's a matter of identifying the situation. The players who are very good, they smell when there is real danger, whether they can take the risk of going or whether they can stay, it's the quality of the player who takes those decisions."
James, who turned out 277 times for the Reds throughout the 1990s, backs the position Iraola has adopted. He explained to the Liverpool Echo: "I'm not surprised that Liverpool aren't looking to buy a defensive midfielder this window. It is getting talked about due to the way they got exposed at times against Newcastle. However, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were all there when Liverpool won the league, and nobody said they needed a defensive midfielder then.
"I think what may need tweaking is the way they are playing. They all looked too focused on getting up the pitch on Sunday, and that is why they got exposed on the counter.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 13: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on February 13, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman during a Liverpool training session at AXA Training Centre on February 13, 2026(Image: Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"A couple of small tweaks in coaching or communication between the players will sort this problem. Not every issue requires a new signing just because it's the transfer window, Liverpool's midfield is more than strong enough to compete with the very best in the league."
There have been persistent reports suggesting the goalkeeper was prepared to follow fellow modern-day Liverpool icons Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson out of the club this summer, with Juventus strongly linked with a move for his services.
However, Alisson will stay at Anfield for at least another year, which prompts questions about how Giorgi Mamardashvili, who sealed a $39 million switch from Valencia last summer, will view the prospect of spending a further season as understudy.
Former England number one James said: "I think Giorgi Mamardashvili is in a very difficult position at Liverpool. He's currently playing second fiddle to one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and he is forced to be patient.
Article continues below
"It could be hard for Mamardashvili to ever feel confident about taking Allison's position full-time, but Allison has proved over the last few years that fitness can be an issue at times.
"If Allison's fitness does become an issue at any point, then all Mamardashvili can do is put together a solid string of performances to give the manager a headache when Allison returns to the side.
"He will be frustrated as he is a great keeper, but he knew when he signed that Allison was the number one. I'm sure one day he'll get the chance to prove his worth at Liverpool."