Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has stood by the club's summer transfer business, insisting the priority was to add quality rather than fill every position on the squad sheet, while also offering fresh updates on a number of injured players ahead of an upcoming fixture.
Liverpool posted the highest net spend of any Premier League club during the summer window, bringing in Alexander Isak for £125m, Florian Wirtz for £116m, and most recently Bradley Barcola for a fee that could rise to £123m. The Frenchman completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain on Monday and could be in line to make his debut away at Ipswich on Friday, despite having not featured for PSG since the deal was agreed.
Despite the outlay, Liverpool did not bring in reinforcements at right back, in defensive midfield, or on the right wing, areas that had been identified as possible targets. The club were linked with moves for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace's Ismaïla Sarr before deciding against pursuing either deal.
Iraola made clear that the decisions were deliberate and made with the club's best interests in mind. "I'm very happy with all the signings we've made," he said. "I know the next question: 'Do you want more signings in other positions?' At the end the club has decided those signings we have done are the ones that improved our team and our position."
The head coach explained that various factors influenced which deals were pursued and which were abandoned. "There were other options we decided not to take, for different reasons: sometimes it is sporting reasons because they don't improve what you have, sometimes it is economical reasons as it didn't make sense in terms of the market to do those movements," he said. "But I'm happy now I know what we have, I have a lot of quality in the team and now it is the moment for us, for the players, for me to develop what we have."
On the specific issue of right-wing cover, with Mohamed Salah previously occupying that role, Iraola expressed confidence that Barcola, Victor Muñoz, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha could rotate between flanks. "I think we've preferred at the end to have the best players, probably, than a player that maybe is specifically for that position," he said, adding that he has long demanded versatility from wide players in his previous coaching roles. He noted that while most of his options are more comfortable on the left, each has shown the capacity to adapt to the right side, pointing out that Barcola actually began his career playing predominantly on the right at Lyon.
Alongside the transfer discussion, Iraola used his pre-match press conference to update reporters on Liverpool's list of injured players. Giovanni Leoni, who suffered an ACL tear that required him to be stretchered off the pitch, remains sidelined, and none of the club's currently injured players will be available for the upcoming match.
Joe Gomez appears closest to a return. "The closest one is Joe," Iraola said. "Joe will probably start training with us next week and it has gone normally, the recovery, from a muscle injury, more or less we were expecting the time on this. I hope we can have him before the break, let's say."
Regarding Leoni, Iraola indicated a similar timeline for reintegration. "I think the next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni. I think the plan is also to start training during the break, with the group," he said, adding that Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley should follow a comparable schedule, while Hugo Ekitike's return is expected to take longer.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football and Standard Football.