The Basque boss has already lost Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, and looks set to lost Illia Zabarnyi to PSG.
But the club is yet to bring in a replacement for Huijsen, let alone Zabarnyi. Bafode Diakite is strongly linked, with negotiations underway between Bournemouth and Lille.
The boss gave an update on the transfer window after the Real Sociedad friendly on Saturday – and reiterated his dislike for the window.
“You know me, I hate this month. I hate it,” he said when asked for an update on Zabarnyi.
(Image: Richard Crease) “I hate when the window is open and we still play games but I complain every year and it is the same, it is what it is.
“I know that things obviously are happening. Zaba hasn't played in the morning, hasn't played today.
“But it's not official. So we have to wait. I think it's going to happen. But it's true that we have to wait until everything signed and official.”
Asked about the Diakite link, Iraola said: “As you said, we are trying to sign centre backs with Dean and now with Zaba.
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“If it happens, we need centre backs. But I cannot speak about players that are not ours.”
On the need for multiple central defenders, the boss said: “Yes, we need two new centre backs. Because if the Zaba thing gets official and done we are losing two top, top centre backs.
“So, it's going to be almost impossible to replace them. But the best centre backs we can find, the club is working on this. Not now, we haven't started now because of the Zaba situation, we've been working.
“But it's true that you don’t sign the players when you want. Sometimes you have to wait and we have to trust the club in this process.”
(Image: Richard Crease) Another player who has been linked with a move away is Dango Ouattara, with Brentford among the clubs interested in signing the Burkinabe forward.
On Ouattara, who played in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Sociedad, Iraola said: “He played 90 minutes. He's our player.
“I don't want to lose Dango but in the same way I didn't want to lose Zaba and Dean and Milos and Kepa, until the market is open there will be speculation and I don't know what's going to happen.
“I hate these things. I hate it because these three weeks even during the competition you have players that you don't know if they are going to move tomorrow. Who is going to be available for the next game.
“But we have to adapt. And now it's true that we've lost very important players. But this we cannot change it.
“For me what we have to focus on how we react to this and try to help the club and try to put us in the best position we can.
“It's going to be difficult probably for the first day. But I hope when the market ends after three, four games we are in a better situation.”