Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola says his reshaped squad is “still not in an ideal situation” and insists further signings are needed before the Premier League season kicks off.
The Spaniard has already seen key figures Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate depart this summer, while several other players are sidelined through injury.
So far, Liverpool have brought in Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz, but Iraola believes the squad remains incomplete and is particularly keen to add a winger.
Transfer gaps and injury concerns
Speaking to reporters in Chicago during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Iraola admitted the scale of the rebuild is difficult to pin down while the transfer window remains open.
He said: “من الصعب تحديد جميع احتياجات الفريق بدقة بينما لا تزال سوق الانتقالات مفتوحة، اذ يجب ان تبقى دايما منفتحا على الفرص التي قد تسهم في تحسين التشكيلة”.
He added: “هناك مراكز واضحة نعرف اننا بحاجة الى تدعيمها. على سبيل المثال، نحتاج بالتاكيد الى التعاقد مع جناح”.
Liverpool’s summer has been shaped by both departures and fitness problems. While Salah, Robertson and Konate have all left, Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are currently unavailable due to injury, further stretching Iraola’s options.
That cocktail of exits and absences has, according to the manager, left certain positions “complicated” as he weighs whether to invest in new players or wait for injured squad members to return.
He explained: “في مراكز اخرى، علينا تقييم الخيارات المتاحة في السوق، وكلفة التعاقدات، وكذلك مستوى اللاعبين الموجودين لدينا. هناك بعض المراكز التي تبدو معقدة، لان لدينا لاعبين مصابين نثق بقدراتهم، لكن الوضع لا يزال بعيدا عن المثالية”.
Leadership void after senior departures
The loss of Salah, Konate and Robertson has stripped Liverpool of significant experience on and off the pitch. At the same time, uncertainty continues to surround the future of Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Iraola stressed how crucial the 31-year-old could be in guiding both new signings and younger players through a transitional period.
He said: “اعتقد انه سيكون عنصرا مهما للغاية في مساعدة اللاعبين الجدد على التاقلم، سواء كانوا من اصحاب الخبرة او من العناصر الشابة”.
Beyond Alisson, the Liverpool manager highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong leadership spine in the dressing room, pointing to long-serving stalwarts.
He continued: “نحتاج الى عناصر قدوة داخل غرفة الملابس، مثل فيرجيل فان دايك واليسون وجو جوميز، وهم لاعبون امضوا سنوات طويلة في النادي. وانا واثق من اننا سنحصل على هذا النوع من الدعم”.
Pre-season schedule and Premier League opener
Liverpool’s preparations for the new campaign begin with a friendly against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday. That match is the first in a series of warm-up fixtures, with further games to come against Wrexham, Leeds United, Monaco and Como.
Those contests will offer Iraola his initial chance to experiment with his squad, assess the impact of his early signings and identify how urgently Liverpool must act in the transfer market.
The clock is ticking, with Liverpool set to open their Premier League season away to Newcastle United on 23 August.
By then, Iraola will hope to have addressed the glaring need for a winger and strengthened other problem positions, while also clarifying the futures of senior figures such as Alisson.
For now, though, the new Liverpool manager is clear: the rebuild is under way, but it is far from complete.
