The latest Liverpool round-up sees a key Reds chief admit he was proved wrong by a former Anfield star
Andoni Iraola with assistants Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper
Andoni Iraola has yet to lose at Liverpool(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Two unbeaten records go on the line at Anfield this Sunday, but the stakes feel considerably higher for Andoni Iraola. Facing Manchester City is a massive test for the new Liverpool manager, with the match being the league leaders' first since being found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.
Enzo Maresca's side have been under the footballing microscope throughout the international break. They'll face no such reprieve when they travel to Merseyside against the very same club they battled against year after year for the title.
The Reds' early momentum sits against the backdrop of a chaotic £123m deal for Bradley Barcola and a frustratingly sparse transfer window. As ex-Reds favourite Jarell Quansah continues to shine elsewhere and details surface of a missed recruitment opportunity, Iraola needs a monumental performance against City to silence the off-pitch noise.
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Quansah proves youth coach wrong
Jarell Quansah's career has gone from strength to strength since departing Liverpool for Bayer Leverkusen in a £35million deal last summer. Not only has the 23-year-old cemented himself as a pivotal figure for the German club, but he has emerged as one of Thomas Tuchel's most relied-upon performers for England.
The defender's remarkable progression in recent years is something Liverpool's academy director, Alex Inglethorpe, didn't believe could happen. The 54-year-old told the BBC: "I've been proven wrong so many times in the past.
Jarell Quansah of England during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between England and Spain
Jarell Quansah is a man in demand(Image: (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images))
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"A good example would be Jarell [Quansah] – someone who was always liked and never in danger of leaving but probably never seen in the top three in the group." He did concede that Quansah's outstanding development might never have materialised had he remained at Liverpool in a peripheral role under Arne Slot.
He added: "There are no certainties – the point of the academy is to allow them to fulfil their potential. Sometimes players need to leave to gain an opportunity. There are lots of lovely examples of boys leaving and having good careers, and I'm not convinced they would have had the same career if they stayed at Liverpool.
"The linear and most productive way is to break in, but there's different pathways that can lead back to playing for Liverpool – and that is the dream. " A return to Anfield remains a possibility, as the Reds inserted a buyback clause into the deal that saw Quansah leave the club.
The option is valued at £55m, with personal terms already agreed, and only time will tell what Liverpool ultimately decide.
Henderson transfer return chance missed
Liverpool lost a considerable amount of leadership last summer in Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. The void left by the legendary pair should have been filled by former captain Jordan Henderson, according to Reds icon Phil Thompson.
Henderson, 36, departed Brentford for Chelsea ahead of the new campaign, with Blues boss Xabi Alonso recruiting the England international alongside Danny Welbeck to bring a wealth of experience to his youthful squad. It's a void in the Reds' squad that Thompson believes Iraola missed a trick in not replacing.
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Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco
Jordan Henderson signed for Chelsea this past summer(Image: Ryan Pierse)
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He said: "I'm one of those, I'd have liked Andy Robertson to have stayed for another 12 months to sort of push Kerkez, but it's his impact that was in the dressing room. I'd have had Jordan Henderson back last summer and you go, 'Jordan Henderson?'
"You all seen what he's done now. He was taken with England. He was taken to Chelsea by Alonso for a reason. You see what I'm trying to say in terms of values at football clubs, we've lost a lot of characters."