Andoni Iraola's Liverpool Window Challenges and Future Goals
Andoni Iraola now understands the particular strain that comes with steering Liverpool through a transfer window. Weeks of chasing targets, watching deals stall, and seeing plans reshaped on the fly have left the 43-year-old with a squad that feels both refreshed and unfinished.
Liverpool emerged from the summer with three senior additions: Victor Munoz, Ronald Araujo and Bradley Barcola. Jeremy Jacquet, signed under Arne Slot, finally reported for duty as well, ending a long wait for his arrival.
Yet one glaring gap remains. Mohamed Salah is gone and the right flank still lacks a like-for-like heir. Liverpool pushed hard, circled options, tested the market. The right-winger never came. Not yet, anyway.
The club’s hierarchy are already eyeing January as a second swing at a position they know could define their season. Even as the dust settled on deadline day, Liverpool were still doing business, securing a future signing once the window had officially closed.
Minteh chase not over
Yankuba Minteh sat at the top of Iraola’s wishlist for that Salah role. Liverpool went strong and early. Brighton stood firmer.
Two bids went in, £50 million and then £60m, as the clock ticked down. Both were rejected. The 22-year-old stayed at the Amex Stadium, a key piece in Brighton’s plans and a missing one in Liverpool’s.
The story has not ended there. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has now cracked the door open, hinting that Minteh’s long-term future may lie elsewhere.
“If the whole team is successful and the individual shines then Yankuba will get a lot of attention again and he can then maybe fulfil his dream in the next transfer window,” the 33-year-old said.
Those words will not be lost on Iraola or Liverpool’s recruitment team. Minteh remains under contract, but the message is clear: perform, attract suitors, and a move in winter is possible. For a club still searching for a new right-sided spearhead, that sounds a lot like an invitation to return.
N’Guessan deal sealed after the deadline
Just when Liverpool fans were catching their breath from the Bradley Barcola saga and the frantic close to the window, another twist arrived. After the chaos of September 1, the club quietly confirmed a new deal that had slipped under the radar.
On Friday, Liverpool announced an agreement to sign Djylian N’Guessan from Saint-Etienne. The 18-year-old forward will join permanently in January in a move worth around £4.3 million.
He will not be heading straight to Anfield, though. Liverpool have already mapped out his next step, sending him on loan to Ligue 1 side Stade Brestois for the 2026/27 campaign, a deliberate attempt to harden him in top-flight French football before he ever pulls on a red shirt.
N’Guessan’s record is still that of a prospect rather than a finished article: 13 appearances and one goal for Saint-Etienne, plus seven outings for France at the U20 World Cup last year, where they finished fourth. It is a long-term play, not a quick fix.
So Iraola ends this window with a reshaped defence, a fresh attacking option in Barcola, Jacquet finally in the building, and a teenager lined up for the future. The glaring question remains on that right wing. Will January bring the moment Liverpool finally land Minteh—or will someone else seize the chance to become Salah’s true successor?
