Liverpool are only a short way into life under Andoni Iraola, but some calls already look obvious. New managers talk about ideas, structure and identity. What matters is whether the squad matches it. In Liverpool’s case, some of it does, some of it clearly does not.
According to David Lynch on his YouTube channel, there are five players whose futures look bleak under the current head coach, Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott. The argument is simple enough. Iraola wants intensity, clarity in possession, aggression without the ball and players he trusts physically and tactically. If you do not tick enough of those boxes, sentiment does not save you.
That may sound harsh, but this is how serious clubs work. Liverpool have been through one major era change already, then a title win under Arne Slot in 2024-25, then a sharp collapse in 2025-26, then another reset with Iraola. There is no room now for passengers, stop-gaps or players who cannot reliably contribute.
Liverpool contracts already shaping Iraola rebuild
--------------------------------------------------
The most immediate cases are the players heading towards the end of their deals. Lynch’s reporting points strongly towards Tsimikas, Gomez and Endo leaving without renewals. That would not be dramatic, it would be logical.
On Tsimikas, Lynch said: “Kostas Tsimikas, I think it’s clear that this is one Liverpool will allow to expire at the end of the season.” That feels about right. Tsimikas has served a purpose and filled a squad role, but there is a difference between being useful cover and being part of the medium-term plan. Liverpool can delay that decision for a season, they cannot dodge it forever.
Gomez is a harder one emotionally because there is real history there and real quality when fit. But football departments cannot make expensive decisions based on memory. Lynch put it bluntly: “Another one I think is straightforward is Joe Gomez, who expires in 2027. His availability record and how it has been in recent seasons means you just can’t justify extending his contract.” That is ruthless, but it is also how squad building works when availability becomes the defining issue.
Endo looks the clearest of the lot. Lynch said: “Clearly Wataru Endo is going to depart at the end of the season as well, four years on from signing.” There is no ambiguity there. If a player was not central before, and still is not central now, then the road usually ends the same way.
Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott facing uncertain futures
-----------------------------------------------------------
The more interesting discussion is around Chiesa and Elliott, because both still have time left on their deals and both, in different ways, represent unfinished business.
Chiesa’s Liverpool career has never really settled. Injuries have played a part, but availability alone does not explain everything. Iraola appears to want precision and repeatability from wide players, and if there is doubt over whether someone can deliver that often enough, the club will move quickly. Lynch’s verdict was uncompromising: “Into the 2028 expiries, the next one to talk about is Federico Chiesa.” He then made the club’s stance sound even clearer, “Really easy this one, if Liverpool could have sold him over the summer they absolutely would have, if they can sell him next summer they absolutely will as well.”
That is not a minor suggestion. That is a sign Liverpool already see an exit as preferable to persistence.
Elliott is different. There is talent there, and there always has been. But talent has to fit the system, and this is where things become awkward. If there is no natural role for him in Iraola’s structure, then the debate ends up being about market value and timing rather than potential. Lynch said: “Harvey Elliott also expires in 2028, it’s just a question of when he comes back from Valencia can he get a move which works for him? Maybe not even a permanent, it could be a loan to get him to the end of his contract. Clearly not one Liverpool will be giving a new contract to.”
Squad rebuild leaves little room for sentiment
----------------------------------------------
This is the point supporters do not always enjoy hearing. A rebuild is not just about buying players, it is about removing the wrong ones. Clubs often drag these processes out because familiarity is comfortable. Liverpool cannot afford that now.
Iraola has 18 points from his first 10 league games, the same tally Slot managed over the equivalent stretch last season. That does not prove improvement on its own, and it does not prove decline either. What it does show is that the bigger judgement should be reserved for the shape of the team and whether the coach is building something coherent. That process includes deciding who stays, who goes and who simply does not suit the direction of travel.
Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk remain the headline contract situations because elite players always dominate the discussion, but the quieter decisions often tell you more about the club’s actual planning. If Liverpool let Tsimikas, Gomez and Endo go, and actively look for solutions on Chiesa and Elliott, that would be a clear sign that Iraola’s authority is real and the reset is underway.
There is nothing glamorous about trimming a squad. There is plenty of noise, plenty of emotion and usually some regret. But if Liverpool are serious about building the next strong version of themselves, these are the decisions that have to be made early, clearly and without fuss.
Our View
--------
There is something painful about reading a list like this because several of these players have given good moments, honest service and, in some cases, years of commitment. But that cannot be the basis for the next Liverpool side. The club has already paid the price before for hanging on too long, waiting for form to return, waiting for fitness to improve, waiting for a role to magically appear. Waiting gets you nowhere.
If Iraola has looked at this squad and decided some players simply do not fit, then back him. Properly back him. Do not fudge it, do not hand out extensions to be polite, and do not keep players around because it feels kinder. Liverpool need a team built for the manager, not a collection of leftovers from different eras.
The hardest one to swallow is Elliott because many wanted him to become a major figure at Anfield. He has ability, courage and technical quality. But if the manager does not see the role, then forcing the issue helps nobody. Chiesa feels done. Endo feels done. Tsimikas feels inevitable. Gomez hurts, because on his day he has been outstanding, but football does not reward nostalgia.
What matters now is whether these exits create room for smarter recruitment, younger legs and players who can carry out the plan every week. Liverpool need clarity. More than anything, they need to stop looking backwards.