Liverpool's Urgent Need for Seven New Signings Under Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola has barely stepped through the doors at Anfield and already the scale of his first assignment is being laid out in brutal terms: Liverpool, he is told, may need as many as seven new signings to steady the ship.
The former Bournemouth head coach, confirmed last week on a two-year deal to replace Arne Slot, inherits a side that stumbled badly in the wake of their 20th Premier League title. The hangover has been severe, the spine of the team creaking, and the exodus of big names is only just beginning.
A squad stripped of its pillars
Mohamed Salah has gone. Andy Robertson too. Now, according to Football Insider, Alisson Becker “could be the next big name to go” as Liverpool brace for another summer of upheaval.
Alisson, the goalkeeper who underpinned Liverpool’s recent era of success, has already seen a move to Juventus blocked by the club’s hierarchy. Talks over his future are said to be on the way, but the very fact those conversations are needed tells its own story. The foundations that once felt immovable are suddenly up for debate.
Inside the club, Iraola is understood to have already assessed the squad in detail, anticipating his appointment before it became official. One source quoted by Football Insider painted a stark picture, suggesting there are “probably six or seven positions with players already in need of replacing”.
Look down the team sheet and the concerns stack up. Alisson could leave. Robertson is gone. Ibrahima Konaté is described as heading for the exit. Virgil van Dijk, the defensive colossus of the title-winning side, is now 34 and, as the source bluntly put it, “ageing now”. Right-back is flagged as another area demanding attention.
And that’s before you even reach the forward line.
Holes everywhere you look
Salah’s departure leaves a void that cannot be filled by one player alone. Liverpool have been linked with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande as a leading candidate to help replace that attacking output, with the possibility of a swap deal involving an underperforming Liverpool player floated as a way to get it done.
Even that, though, would only be part of the answer. The sense around the club is that Liverpool “arguably need two wingers” this summer, not just a single marquee arrival, if they are to rebuild a front line capable of frightening defences again.
Complicating matters further, Ekitike is out until next year with injury, stripping away another attacking option and adding yet another name to the list of positions that need attention. Right-back, centre-back, central midfield, wide forward – the checklist keeps growing.
“Already, that’s multiple key positions that need dealing with,” the Football Insider source said. “The manager will know that better than anybody, he will be prepared. It’s now about whether he will get that backing, and I expect he will, to make the changes that need to be made.”
Seven signings or bust?
Football Insider’s line is stark: Liverpool “should complete seven new signings” this window because Iraola faces “major issues” that must be fixed “immediately ahead of next season”.
This isn’t the usual gentle refresh of a successful squad. It is a rebuild under pressure, in real time, with expectations unchanged. The club’s recruitment team are already being pushed towards upgrades across the back line and midfield, while also trying to reimagine the attack without Salah’s goals and gravity.
The question is not whether Iraola can see the problems. By all accounts, he has already gone through the squad “one by one”. The question is how quickly Liverpool can move in a market where every selling club knows they are shopping for half a team.
For Iraola, the mandate is brutally simple. As the source put it: “Ultimately, the goal for Iraola at Liverpool is going to be to make them successful again, but to do that, he’s going to need a lot of support.”
Seven signings have been floated as the number. The reality is harsher: Liverpool don’t just need bodies. They need a new core, and they need it now.
