The transfer window may be closed but Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola will no doubt be keen to keep improving his squad
Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola will be back at Bournemouth on Sunday(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Andoni Iraola is set for his first return to Bournemouth following a mixed start to his reign as Liverpool boss. Since being plucked from the Cherries by the Reds, the Spaniard has inherited some of the issues that hindered his predecessor, Arne Slot.
They include an unbalanced squad and the quandary of how to get the best out of the club's big-money signings, such as Florian Wirtz, who continues to struggle to justify his price tag. Iraola defended the German playmaker this week, saying he was "very happy" with him and rates him "very highly."
Ahead of Sunday's game at the Vitality Stadium, the Reds remain unbeaten in the Premier League but frustratingly with three draws from four games, two of which needed late equalisers.
The midweek win over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and the performance of the youngsters who came into the side offered encouragement and may have given Iraola some welcome selection dilemmas. Here's a round-up of the latest Liverpool news…
No favours for Iraola
Liverpool will have to pay another £100million-plus fee to land Bournemouth star Rayan, according to reports in Brazil. The Reds have been linked with the 20-year-old but have been told they cannot expect any favours because of Iraola's relationship with the player.
Per ESPN Brazil, Rayan's £130m release clause becomes active in 2027 and the Cherries won't budge from that fee, even for Iraola. The report adds that if the fee is not met, Rayan will remain at Bournemouth, where he is under contract until 2031.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail adds that Liverpool are highly unlikely to stump up such a fee, having just paid Paris Saint-Germain £123m for Bradley Barcola.
Rayan of AFC Bournemouth
Rayan has been on Liverpool's radar(Image: Getty Images)
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Club chief shocked by Reds
A club executive has admitted his shock at the speed at which Liverpool moved for one of their players. At the end of the transfer window, the Reds confirmed the £30m signing of goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Genk, who has been loaned straight back to the Belgian Pro League club for the season.
The teenager, who was also wanted by Real Madrid, is viewed as a potential long-term replacement for Alisson. Genk director of football Dimitri de Conde said via Sport Witness: "I knew he was on the radar of top clubs, that he’d even visited Real Madrid.
Lucca Brughmans
Lucca Brughmans has been loaned back to Genk for the season(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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"And that he was one of the lads we hoped to get a handsome fee for at some point, to ensure the club's survival. But for it to happen that quickly and for that amount, I never saw that coming."
Brughmans has been ever-present this season for Genk, who sit ninth in the Belgian Pro League after six games.
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