New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has highlighted two primary areas of concern within his squad, signaling an indirect appeal to the club's transfer chiefs to accelerate summer recruitment plans. "There are obvious situations where we know we need to sign players. Winger, for example. We definitely need to sign a winger," Iraola stated. He also noted that the team is "very thin" in defensive depth.
This comes as Liverpool's transfer window has been relatively quiet, with only one new arrival so far: Spanish World Cup winner Victor Munoz from Osasuna. Iraola, however, issued a strong stance on retaining key players, stating he wants to keep his best assets and is focused on signing new talent rather than losing existing players. He specifically addressed interest from foreign clubs in goalkeeper Alisson and midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, asserting that both players are crucial.
"Alexis has been one of the best players of the club in the last years. He has had a very good World Cup so it is normal that other clubs want our best players," Iraola said, adding, "I want to keep my good players."
The squad is currently in Chicago for pre-season training. Several prominent players are absent from the tour due to their participation in the World Cup or personal reasons. These include Virgil van Dijk, who is on a break after a demanding season, and Cody Gakpo, who is on compassionate leave. Alisson is also not expected to join the squad for the tour following his World Cup commitments with Brazil.
Despite these absences, some players like Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch are scheduled to join the team in the United States next week, potentially being available for upcoming friendlies. The team is set to play against Sunderland in Nashville, followed by matches against Wrexham in New York City and another against Sunderland in Chicago.
Injury concerns also persist. Five players on the current tour are managing injuries. Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic are expected to resume training soon. Giovanni Leoni is progressing, but both Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike are still several months away from returning to full fitness. Bradley, in particular, is recovering from a long-term knee injury that will keep him sidelined for an extended period. Iraola acknowledged these challenges, noting, "In other situations, we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what the cost is, how we see the players we have. We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust that are not in the ideal situation."