Liverpool boss Iraola admits transfer ‘gaps’ after Salah, Robertson and Konate exits

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has admitted his squad remains short in key areas following the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate, warning that the club must still move decisively in the final weeks of the summer transfer window.

Speaking to reporters in Chicago, the Spaniard said the Premier League side had “clear positions” that still needed strengthening, despite already bringing in Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz.

The reshaped Liverpool side is also dealing with a succession of injuries, with Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leone all sidelined, further complicating Iraola’s attempts to build a settled squad before the new season.

‘We definitely need a winger’

Iraola stressed that Liverpool cannot yet fully define their transfer priorities while the market remains open, insisting flexibility will be crucial.

“It is difficult to specify all the needs of the team precisely while the transfer market is still open, because you always have to remain open to opportunities that may help improve the squad,” he said.

However, he conceded that one area is non-negotiable.

“There are clear positions we know we need to strengthen. For example, we definitely need to sign a winger,” he added.

Beyond wide areas, Iraola said Liverpool are still weighing up how best to respond to other gaps in the squad, balancing cost, availability and faith in injured players returning to fitness.

“In other positions, we have to assess the options available in the market, the cost of signings, as well as the level of the players we already have. There are some positions that seem complicated, because we have injured players we trust, but the situation is still far from ideal,” he said.

Experience drain after major departures

The exits of Salah, Konate and Robertson have stripped significant experience and leadership from the dressing room at Anfield. That loss of know-how comes at a time when several new signings are trying to settle and younger players are being promoted into more prominent roles.

The picture is further clouded by uncertainty over the future of Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker, whose situation has not been fully clarified.

Iraola underlined how vital he believes Alisson’s presence will be, if the club can retain him.

“I think he will be extremely important in helping new players adapt, whether they are experienced players or youngsters,” he said.

“We need role models in the dressing room, such as Virgil van Dijk and Alisson and Joe Gomez, and they are players who have spent many years at the club. And I am confident that we will get this type of support.”

Pre-season schedule and Premier League opener

Liverpool’s preparations for the new campaign begin with a friendly against Sunderland in Nashville next Saturday, as Iraola looks to mould his new-look squad into shape and bed in fresh arrivals.

The club will then play further warm-up matches against Wrexham, Leeds United, Monaco and Como in the build-up to the Premier League season.

Liverpool open their league campaign away to Newcastle United on 23 August, a testing start that will quickly expose whether Iraola and the club’s recruitment team have successfully addressed the “complicated” gaps he has identified in the squad.