Andoni Iraola wants five new players to join and four Liverpool players to leave in a big team refresh.
Liverpool’s new boss, Andoni Iraola, is said to want five new players to help rebuild the team after Arne Slot was let go. Slot was sacked just a year after leading Liverpool to their 20th league title, despite finishing fifth and securing Champions League football.
Iraola, who recently left Bournemouth when his contract ended, is now the favorite to take over at Liverpool. Known for his fast, energetic style of play, he’s exactly what fans want, and it looks like his move to Anfield is almost done.
ESPN reports there’s a list of five players Iraola is interested in signing during his first transfer window. With big names like Mo Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate all leaving on free transfers, Liverpool really need some new faces this summer.
A top winger is a big priority. They’re looking at Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. Closer to home, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen is also a possibility, especially after West Ham’s recent relegation.
Liverpool also want a strong midfielder and are interested in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. For defense, they like Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries, who has a €25 million release clause that needs to be activated in July. Real Madrid is also watching him closely.
On the outgoing side, Alisson Becker and Curtis Jones have caught the attention of Juventus and Inter Milan, while Federico Chiesa may return to Italy. Joe Gomez’s future at Liverpool is still uncertain.
Fans knew for a while that Salah and Robertson would leave, but Konate’s free transfer only became clear recently after contract talks fell through. Konate expressed sadness on Instagram that he couldn’t properly say goodbye to the fans, as he didn’t know that would be his last game.
Konate is now focusing on the World Cup with France, but reports say he’s set to join Real Madrid, where the club’s president, Florentino Perez, could use this signing to boost his reelection chances.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have young defenders Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni ready to step up. There’s even talk they might try to bring back former center-back Jarell Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen, thanks to a buy-back clause of about £70 million in his transfer deal.