Liverpool faces a difficult end to the transfer window, due to a potential delay in its business following a stance from new manager Andoni Iraola.
Andoni Iraola manager / head coach of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC
Andoni Iraola's transfer stance may have slowed down Liverpool's business(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))
Andoni Iraola may have delayed Liverpool's transfer business, with the club now in a difficult position to get deals over the line in the final few days of the window.
It follows a rush for the Reds to get a few new signings through the door, having already sealed the arrivals of Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz, and Ronald Araujo so far.
There is an expectation that Bradley Barcola will now join the club, following an agreement and a medical booked for the winger, barring any dramatic turn of events for the incoming winger.
Then there may be a rush towards the end, as Cody Gakpo's potential exit could cause a chain reaction that will allow another winger to join Liverpool, while problems persist over some other positions such as right-back and in the midfield.
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It's such late chaos that many onlookers will be perplexed by, considering how obvious some of the transfer needs were for the Reds coming into the summer.
Following Mohamed Salah's exit, it was clear that the team needed another right-wing presence, a move that is yet to be completed with just a few days left in the market.
Both left-back and right-back have been a problem for Liverpool over the past year, yet nothing has been done to help strengthen those areas.
Then there's the midfield, where there have been concerns about the balance over the past year, with yet again no move made to help improve the options available, especially with a potential defensively-minded player coming to the club.
Andoni Iraola during Liverpool's draw with Nottingham Forest
Andoni Iraola during Liverpool's draw with Nottingham Forest (Image: (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Some of that may be down to Iraola's stance when joining the club, where he had planned to look at the overall state of the roster at his disposal to learn more about who could or could not fit his system moving forward.
That has caused a potential delay, given that the World Cup has led to players returning late and the manager having less time to look at his options before the season starts.
Now Liverpool is left in a difficult position, with options running out on the market, particularly on the right wing, while any move at the 11th hour will likely cost even more due to the late nature of the switch.
It remains to be seen what business can be done, but it remains highly unlikely that every single problem position will be covered off by the recruitment team before the transfer window slams shut.
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It leaves Iraola having to find internal solutions for issues that perhaps should have been covered off before this point, but it will be a test of his managerial acumen.
This summer won't be the first time he has faced such challenges, displaying at Bournemouth that he is capable of dealing with changes and exits, making the most of them to build something even better.
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That will be the task at Liverpool, now the window looks set to close with a few glaring issues.