Liverpool Target Andrei Rațiu for Right-Back Rebuild
Liverpool are preparing an opening offer for Rayo Vallecano defender Andrei Rațiu as Andoni Iraola moves quickly to fix the position that derailed the club’s season.
Backed already with funds to land Victor Munoz from Osasuna, Iraola is again looking to La Liga, this time with his sights set on a right‑back he believes can walk straight into the Premier League fight.
A new challenger at right‑back
Jeremie Frimpong is still expected to start next season as Liverpool’s first-choice right‑back, with Conor Bradley behind him, but the club’s recruitment drive is clearly not finished on that flank. Rațiu, 28, has emerged as the latest target, a player long tagged in Spain as one of La Liga’s most underrated full-backs.
Since joining Rayo Vallecano three years ago, he has made 102 appearances in the Spanish top flight, building a reputation on reliability and relentless energy. SportsBoom report that Iraola wants a far closer level of competition for Frimpong than he had last year and believes Rațiu has the quality and temperament to push him hard.
What that means for academy graduate Bradley is unclear. The 20‑year‑old has already shown he can cope with the demands at Anfield, but a move for Rațiu would crowd the position and sharpen the battle for minutes.
International pedigree and European scars
Rațiu is not a project signing. He arrives with a full career behind him. The Romanian international has 38 caps and has previously been named Romanian Footballer of the Year, a recognition that underlines his status back home.
He also carries the experience of a deep European run. Rațiu played a central role in Rayo Vallecano’s charge to the UEFA Conference League final earlier this year, a campaign that ended in defeat to Crystal Palace but showcased his ability on the continental stage. Those nights, against varied opposition and in high‑pressure situations, have clearly caught the eye of Liverpool’s recruitment team.
Vallecano hold the cards – for now
Liverpool’s interest comes at a price. Vallecano are understood to be seeking a fee in the region of £25 million for Rațiu, and they are in a strong position to demand it.
The defender signed a new long‑term contract in November 2025, tying him to the club for another four years. That deal gives Vallecano leverage, but it has not dampened Liverpool’s confidence. The expectation is that a structured offer, with significant add‑ons built in, could tempt the Spanish club into doing business.
Iraola, for his part, reportedly sees Rațiu as excellent value in a market where proven defenders are at a premium. The plan is not to stash him on the bench. The belief is that he can play regularly, either rotating with Frimpong or stepping in whenever injuries strike.
At Liverpool, those injuries have already told a painful story.
The Trent void and a season that unraveled
Last season, right‑back became a problem position the moment Trent Alexander-Arnold walked away to join Real Madrid at the end of his contract. Arne Slot inherited that headache and then watched it grow worse as both Frimpong and Bradley suffered injury issues.
Liverpool scrambled. Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai were both asked to fill in as auxiliary right‑backs. Each did a job, but every minute spent out wide drained Liverpool’s midfield of its natural rhythm and power. The knock‑on effect was brutal; the season lost its shape, and so did the team.
It is no surprise, then, that in his first summer at Anfield, Iraola has reportedly made solving right‑back a priority. Rațiu, with his blend of experience, durability and tactical discipline, fits that agenda.
Jacquet and Leoni boost defensive rebuild
Rațiu would not arrive into a static back line. Liverpool’s defensive overhaul is already well under way.
The club will announce another summer signing next week when Jeremy Jacquet finally completes his £55 million move to Merseyside. The French defender agreed to leave Rennes on deadline day of the winter window, with all parties deciding he would finish the season in Ligue 1 before crossing to the Premier League.
A serious shoulder injury threatened to cloud that move, but The Athletic reports that Jacquet’s rehabilitation is on track. Liverpool expect him to be ready for initial pre‑season tests early next month, a significant boost as Iraola shapes his first squad.
There is more good news at centre‑back. Giovanni Leoni, the 19‑year‑old who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last September, is also understood to be on schedule for the start of pre‑season. He has not played since that night, but his return would add another young, hungry option to Iraola’s defensive pool.
A fit Jacquet. A recovering Leoni. A targeted move for Rațiu to close the Trent‑sized gap on the right.
Liverpool’s back line is being rebuilt piece by piece. The next question is simple: will Rațiu be the final bolt in a defence built to last, or the spark that forces everyone around him to raise their level?
