Iraola Highlights Liverpool's Transfer Needs Beyond Wingers

It has already felt like a long, restless summer on Merseyside. Liverpool moved early, bringing in Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz before sealing a loan for Ronald Araujo from Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, but the squad still looks unfinished.

Now the spotlight has swung firmly onto the attack. The Reds have agreed a £120m deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, a statement move aimed at injecting fresh dynamism into the forward line. At the same time, they have pushed for more wide options, only to be knocked back with bids for Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr rejected in recent days.

The flanks are clearly a priority. But they are not the only problem.

Midfield Still the Big Red Flag

Liverpool’s midfield, exposed brutally during last season’s failed title defence, remains largely untouched – and arguably weaker. Curtis Jones has departed for Inter Milan in a £30m deal, stripping away one of the few reliable options in the centre of the pitch.

Those familiar frailties resurfaced immediately. In the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United on the opening weekend, Liverpool’s midfield again looked short of control and authority, unable to fully protect the back line or dictate the tempo.

The clock is ticking. Five days remain in the transfer window. Andoni Iraola knows exactly where the gaps are – and he is not pretending otherwise.

“We Need Players in the Wide Areas”

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Nottingham Forest, the head coach was pressed on what business might still be done before the window shuts.

When asked whether Liverpool could strengthen further in the coming days, Iraola replied:

"There are certain things we can but it's true we need players in the wide areas."

He did not stop there. The Spaniard made it clear he would welcome reinforcements wherever possible, even if he cannot predict how the final days of the market will unfold.

"I'm sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don't know how the market is going to finish. I have to be patient as well as you."

For a coach trying to build something coherent, the uncertainty grates.

"It's very uncomfortable for me as you are dealing with uncertainties all the time. In four or five days we will know what we have and then we can make proper plans."

That is the reality: Liverpool are still building the plane while already halfway down the runway.

Hierarchy on the Clock

Iraola has been blunt about what he sees in this squad. The need for width is obvious, the holes in midfield even more so. The manager has set out his stall; the responsibility now sits higher up.

With the Barcola deal poised to reshape the front line and wide targets already identified, the question is whether sporting director Richard Hughes and the Liverpool hierarchy can move quickly enough to address the rest of the squad.

The window closes in days, not weeks. Iraola will soon find out exactly what kind of team he has been handed – and whether it is built to challenge, or simply to cope.