“We will definitely sign some players. Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1. Because it is true that we are still quite thin.”
The words of Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola in the build-up to the season opener against Newcastle. The former Bournemouth boss clearly felt as though his new team needed signings to bolster their ranks and yet those in charge of recruitment managed to secure just one new face in the 10 days following.
Granted, it was a very expensive new face in Bradley Barcola. The versatile French forward joined for an initial £106million after the Reds finally managed to strike a deal with Paris Saint-Germain following almost two months of negotiations.
Iraola’s words in mid-August seemed to imply the Reds would make multiple signings. That was seemingly the plan with Liverpool agreeing personal terms with Ibrahim Mbaye while putting in offers for Yankuba Minteh and Ismaïla Sarr. However, agreements couldn’t be struck and this meant Cody Gakpo, subject of a £75million bid from Manchester City, remained with the club despite wanting to move to the Etihad.
A failed deadline day move for Malo Gusto also suggests the 2024/25 Premier League champions know they’re a little short at right-back too.
So how can you assess this transfer window? On paper, it looks decent enough, doesn’t it?
Jeremy Jacquet replaced the outgoing Ibrahima Konate and he’s impressed in his showings for the Reds. Victor Munoz won the penalty on his debut and lashed home the equaliser against Nottingham Forest last time out. He brings some much needed dynamism to the forward line and gives Iraola some interesting options in attack.
Ronald Araujo, loaned from Barcelona, gives the Spanish tactician some depth in defence with both Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez still out injured. He’s been brought off of the bench in both games for Jacquet and made his presence felt.
Then there’s Barcola. He’s going to replace Mohamed Salah in attack, not on the Liverpool right, but as the team’s secondary goal threat in support of Alexander Isak.
In theory, Liverpool have improved their defensive options as well as their attacking numbers.
In reality, things are a little more complicated.
For starters, nobody actually knows when Bradley will be back available for selection. Some claim he’ll be back training this month, others believe he won’t be seen in the first-team until 2027 at the earliest. It means, for now, Iraola’s right-back options are Jeremie Frimpong and, as seen against Forest in the latter stages of the game, Dominik Szoboszlai.
With the Liverpool No8 moonlighting as a full-back, the middle third is weakened. Curtis Jones was sold and not replaced with the club promoting Trey Nyoni. Despite suggestions a midfielder was going to be targeted, a move never materialised and the Reds head into the season with three senior options in Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, and then Nyoni is there as cover.
It feels like an unnecessary gamble, especially if the Hungary skipper is going to rack up time at right-back. That’s even before considering whether or not the quartet available to Iraola are actually suited to his system.
So far, there are questions over the players in the double pivot deployed by the former Bournemouth boss. Questions that won’t be answered for a while at least. Questions that were raised as soon as the 44-year-old was appointed as the successor to Arne Slot back in early June.
Liverpool had all summer to propose some solutions but opted against it. They opted against adding to their right-back ranks too. Both could prove to be season-defining decisions.
This brings us to the attack.
Hugo Ekitike isn’t expected to return until the New Year, leaving Iraola to choose from Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Gakpo, Barcola, Munoz and Rio Ngumoha. Liverpool, for once, have depth in attack.
However, they don’t have one natural right-winger within their ranks. Ngumoha, Gakpo, Munoz and Barcola all favour the left flank meaning players are going to be shoehorned into a role they aren’t familiar with and aren’t necessarily as impactful in.
It’s a problem but one that Liverpool can navigate. Bigger problems arise when looking at the depth in central areas. If Wirtz was to sit out a match, Szoboszlai, your second choice right-back and first-choice centre-midfielder, would need to be drafted into the attacking midfield position.
Alternatively, you could use Gakpo, Munoz or Barcola there, though all offer different strengths and completely change the way the attack functions. Again, this falls into the unnecessary risk category, doesn’t it?
It’s the same situation at centre-forward too, though, with Ekitike at the club, it was a little more difficult to get this right. The Reds couldn’t spend big money on an understudy to Isak but they now find themselves in a precarious situation. He’s the only senior centre-forward first and available. If he needs a rest, Iraola has to pick from Barcola, Gakpo, Munoz and perhaps Federico Chiesa.
It changes the dynamic and weakens other areas of the team in the process. It is far from ideal.
Liverpool head into the new season needing a lot of luck in every area to mount a top four challenge. If they get it, they could catapult themselves into the title picture, purely because of the quality they possess in their starting XI.
If luck doesn’t go their way though, the gaps in the squad could play a significant role in their campaign and a top four battle will be the best they can hope for.
Once again, Bare Minimum FC do the bare minimum in the transfer market.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.