Liverpool’s Transfer Needs: Reinforcements for Iraola

Andoni Iraola is not pretending everything is fine. He knows his Liverpool squad is short, and he is not hiding from it. With the summer window ticking down, the Spanish coach has made one thing clear: more players will arrive at Anfield before the deadline.

“We will definitely sign some players,” he told Sky Sports in an exclusive sit-down with Jamie Carragher. “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.”

Thin is the word. Especially in the wide areas.

Wings top the shopping list

Left wing and right wing sit at the top of Liverpool’s priority chart. Talks are ongoing with PSG over Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, two names who have been on the radar for weeks as Liverpool look to add pace, flair and depth to their front line.

There has also been a rejected £50m bid for Yankuba Minteh, according to reports. The number is big, the noise even bigger. But there is a strong sense that this is more negotiating tactic than genuine desperation – a way of nudging PSG on their valuation of Mbaye rather than a full-blooded attempt to land Minteh at any cost.

Whatever the mechanics behind the scenes, the reality on the pitch is simple: Liverpool need at least one more winger, and probably two, if they want to attack the 2026/27 Premier League season with real conviction.

Midfield: Jones exit forces the issue

Then comes the midfield, an area that never seems to stay settled for long at Anfield.

Curtis Jones is heading to Inter Milan, and that potential departure changes the equation. Even before his move gathered pace, there was a feeling Iraola needed one extra midfielder to cope with the sheer volume of fixtures ahead. If Jones does go, that “one more” becomes a necessity rather than a luxury.

Liverpool require another body who can handle the physical and tactical demands of Iraola’s style, someone who can rotate without the level dropping. Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace fits that profile perfectly on paper, a midfielder many would love to see in red. The problem? His £100m asking price. That figure places him firmly in the “dream signing” category rather than a realistic expectation.

Still, the need is there. And it will not go away.

Right-back: depth or specialist?

Right-back has quietly become one of the most debated positions among Liverpool supporters. The arguments play out daily online: is the squad covered, or is there a glaring hole?

Ronald Araujo can fill in at right-back and perform to a good standard. He has the athleticism and defensive instincts to manage the role when required. But that doesn’t end the conversation. Many would prefer to see a specialist arrive, someone whose natural game is built around the demands of that flank rather than adapting from elsewhere.

That is where a name like Hector Fort enters the frame. The 20-year-old has caught the eye during research and scouting since Liverpool were first linked with a loan move. He is young, energetic, and comfortable in the position – exactly the sort of profile that could deepen the squad without blocking long-term planning.

Four signings that would change the picture

So what would an ideal end to the window look like for Liverpool?

Barcola and Mbaye would be the headline arrivals out wide, adding creativity and competition on both flanks. But stopping there would leave Iraola short again once injuries and fixture congestion bite. Two wingers alone do not solve everything.

Add Wharton into midfield – if the finances somehow align – and the squad suddenly looks more robust in the centre of the pitch. Drop Fort into the right-back rotation, and that side of the defence gains a specialist option to balance Araujo’s versatility.

Those four names – Barcola, Mbaye, Wharton and Fort – would dramatically lift both the depth and the quality available to Iraola.

Liverpool have their manager, their direction and their ambition. The question now is whether the final days of the window will give him the tools to match it.