Liverpool legend Phil Thompson believes the club must make another four or five additions if Andoni Iraola is to challenge for the championship in the new season.
Thompson, a former Liverpool captain, has warned that the squad is not yet sufficiently equipped for a title challenge. His main concern is the depth available in defence, where he feels the club still needs further reinforcement despite two recent moves.
Liverpool have signed Jeremy Jacquet and brought in Ronald Araujo on loan following the departures of Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson. However, Thompson believes those changes have not gone far enough and that Liverpool require more defensive options before the new campaign begins.
His assessment is that the club should continue to work in the transfer market rather than regard its current business as complete. Thompson’s call for four or five more signings extends beyond a single position, although he has placed particular emphasis on the defensive area of the squad.
The former captain’s concern centres on the strength of the group as a whole. With Konate and Robertson no longer at the club, Liverpool have lost two players from their defensive ranks. Jacquet has arrived as one replacement and Araujo has joined temporarily, but Thompson does not consider that combination enough to provide the depth needed over the course of a full season.
That issue is especially significant in the context of Liverpool’s ambitions under Iraola. Thompson believes the manager needs a stronger squad to compete for the championship, rather than relying on the current group and the two defensive additions already made.
Liverpool’s financial position should allow them to respond, according to Thompson. He noted that the club has the resources to pursue further transfers because of the income generated by its most recent player sales.
The comments therefore place the focus on whether Liverpool will use that money to continue strengthening before the season starts. Thompson’s view is clear: the signings of Jacquet and Araujo represent some progress, but they do not resolve the squad-depth concerns created by the departures of Konate and Robertson.
He believes a further four or five arrivals are necessary for Liverpool to mount a serious championship challenge. The warning from one of the club’s former captains is that attacking the title requires more than individual additions; it also depends on having enough reliable cover across the squad, particularly in defence.
For now, Thompson’s position is that Liverpool’s transfer work remains unfinished. Despite the arrival of Jacquet and the loan signing of Araujo, he expects the club to make further use of the financial proceeds from recent sales if it is to give Iraola the squad required to compete for the championship.
