NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Andoni Iraola manager / head coach of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St James’ Park on August 23, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
The Liverpool squad new head coach Andoni Iraola has at his disposal for the 2026-27 season clearly has world class quality in places. Yet it’s also a squad that lacks depth and balance, issues that the now closed 2026 summer transfer window didn’t actually manage to do much of anything to address.
Star winger Bradley Barcola arriving to become one of four high-qulaity options most comfortable on the right. Meanwhile there are zero wingers most comfortable on the right. Midfield remains light—and despite that Curtis Jones was sold. And midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai might be the best available fullback the club has.
Heading into the final week of the transfer window, Iraola even acknowledged this, saying that he was hoping for two or three more signings in addition to the late-arriving Barcola. In the end, those signings didn’t come, and he will now have to make the best with what he’s been given to work with.
“I think we’ve preferred at the end to have the best players more than a player that maybe is specifically for that position,” Iraola said when asked about the ending of a window that saw the Reds finally get their £125M Barcola signing across the line and keep Cody Gakpo when they couldn’t find a right winger of similar quality.
“I’m very used to demanding for all my wingers to play both sides. I know they have their preferred position, but we’ve played with Victor [Muñoz], with Cody, with Rio [Ngumoha] all in pre-season on the right. I think probably all of them have played more on the left, but I’ve been happy with them.
“Probably only Rio now is more specifically for the left side, but I think he has showed a willingness to improve and play on the right. Even Bradley, I think he’s very open and can play right and left, but obviously it will depend on the matchups and what we consider for every game, but I’m happy with the four wingers we have.”
It’s noteworthy perhaps that heading into pre-season there was plenty of talk about giving Rio Ngumoha a chance to stake a claim on the right, but that for the time being at least Iraola admits he sees the 18-year-old as perhaps the least comfortable and least suited of his four wingers to cover that position.
While the lack of a natural right winger might be the issue grabbing headlines for Liverpool this week—which is probably natural when you’ve just gone and signed a £125M left winger to add to your ever-growing collection—fullback generally and right back in particular could prove to be this side’s real undoing.
Such are the doubts and question marks surrounding right back that just two games into the 2026-27 season and having had all summer for the club to maybe consider trying to fix it, Iraola is already being asked about needing to perhaps semi-permanently shift midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai to right back.
“If we have to play him as a right winger, as a right back, as a left back, I think he’s ready to do it,” Iraola said. “I think that he wants to help the team first, and I think it’s good also to have players who can cover different positions. We need this versatility of the players so having players like Dom for me is very valuable.”
Szoboszlai might be willing. He also might be the best right back available given Conor Bradley’s fitness struggles and that Jeremie Frimpong looks suited for a position, wingback, Liverpool don’t play. Saying so two days after the window closes, though, suggest the club rather failed at their summer transfer business.