Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola says he is fully satisfied with the club's summer transfer activity, insisting the emphasis now falls on him to get the best out of the squad he has been given. His comments come ahead of Friday's Premier League clash with Ipswich Town, where new signing Bradley Barcola could make his debut after training with his new teammates.
Barcola arrived at Anfield in a £123m move from Paris St-Germain, one of four notable additions made since Iraola took charge. The Spanish coach also welcomed winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5m and defender Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, while centre-back Jeremy Jacquet's £60m transfer was completed back in January before Iraola's appointment.
Despite the club opting not to bring in reinforcements at right-back or in central midfield, Iraola defended the strategy behind Liverpool's recruitment. "Do I want more signings? In the end, the club has decided those signings we have done are the ones that will improve our team, improve the positions," he said. "There were other options that we decided not to take for different reasons, sometimes sporting or economical. It didn't make sense in the market for those moves."
The 42-year-old added that his focus now shifts toward maximizing the group already assembled. "But I'm happy now. I have a lot of quality in the team. Now it is the moment is for me and the players to develop what we have," Iraola said.
One notable outgoing this summer was midfielder Curtis Jones, who departed for Inter Milan in a £30m deal after making 49 appearances for Liverpool last season. Rather than bringing in a direct replacement, Iraola pointed to his existing options in the middle of the pitch, naming Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo as senior choices, alongside academy prospect Trey Nyoni.
"In midfield we have good numbers," Iraola said. "Now it's a matter of getting the right calls from myself. I'm finding now the best combinations and we are going through a period now where we will play a lot of games and we'll have a chance to see the options we have and the combinations we have. It's a matter of coaching."
Iraola also addressed the club's decision to resist a lucrative approach from Manchester City for Cody Gakpo, who has been directly involved in both of Liverpool's league goals so far this season with one goal and one assist. City reportedly had an £80m offer for the Dutch forward turned down. "Glad to keep Cody Gakpo because he is a valuable player," Iraola said.
The Basque coach is still searching for his first win since replacing the previous management at Anfield, with Liverpool opening their league campaign with back-to-back 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. When accounting for the Jacquet deal, Liverpool's summer net spend was the highest of any Premier League club, underlining the scale of investment behind Iraola's project.
"I want to win. I need to win," Iraola said, acknowledging the pressure to convert Liverpool's attacking quality and squad depth into results. A victory at Portman Road on Friday would go a long way toward easing any early-season scrutiny and giving the new-look Reds their first three points of the campaign.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.