Andoni Iraola was really impressed by Liverpool’s number one pick to take over from Curtis Jones.
After Curtis Jones confirmed his move from Liverpool to Inter Milan this week, Andoni Iraola has already found someone to step into the midfield role. Having joined from Bournemouth this summer, Iraola is preparing for his first Premier League season with Liverpool, even though the squad is smaller than he hoped.
The big changes under former manager Arne Slot saw key players like Luis Diaz, Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Andy Robertson leave over the past year. This has made rebuilding a tricky task. The squad has continued to shrink, with the only major new signing upfront being Victor Munoz.
While talks for winger Bradley Barcola are still happening, Iraola has reportedly discovered the perfect fit in midfield—right from Liverpool’s own youth system. Though Liverpool has been linked with costly players like Adam Wharton, Iraola has been impressed by an academy graduate during pre-season and plans to promote him.
Trey Nyoni, who made his pro debut at 16 under Jurgen Klopp but was overlooked by Slot, is now back in Iraola’s first-team plans. According to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey, Nyoni looks like a better choice than spending £70 million on Wharton or Alex Scott and will be important for Liverpool’s 2026/27 season.
“Before pre-season, Iraola was worried about the squad depth after Curtis Jones left,” Bailey explained. “They considered players like Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes, but none were the right fit. They also looked at Wharton, Scott, and Lamine Camara, but those deals could cost £50-70 million or more. Then Nyoni came along and really impressed Iraola. They believe he’s ready to compete with players like Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, and Mac Allister.”
The 19-year-old defensive midfielder has made six senior appearances and led Liverpool’s pre-season while Gravenberch and Mac Allister returned from international duty, earning his spot in the squad.
Nyoni will join a group of exciting young players breaking into the team this year. After some injury setbacks, center-backs Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are expected to play major roles, while rising star Rio Ngumoha is likely to start regularly on the right wing.
With Stefan Bajcetic back from injury this summer and new talent Ifeanyi Ndukwe on loan while waiting for a work permit, Iraola has plenty of young options from the academy to support his squad later in the season too.