'We don't have enough players' - Andoni Iraola warns Liverpool amid transfer uncertainty

Liverpool manager Iraola has not hidden his desire for reinforcements as the Premier League season kicks off, specifically highlighting a lack of depth in wide areas. Despite the arrivals of Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz, and Ronald Araujo, the squad remains depleted following the high-profile exits of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his side's Premier League opener away to Newcastle United this Sunday, Iraola made his stance clear regarding the timing of the club's transfer business. 'As a manager, it's an easy one for me, I wanted the players from the first day on July 13,' he said. 'I wanted everyone here, all the positions doubled with top-level players. But you understand how the competition works.'

'The market is open when you start the competition so we have to adapt as coaches to this situation,' Iraola added. 'There are certain situations that for me are clear, especially on the wing because we don't have enough players specifically to play in those positions. In other positions we have to be open-minded in the market to see situations that honestly can improve our team.'

The final ten days of the transfer window are often the most chaotic, and Iraola admitted that the constant speculation is a distraction he would prefer to avoid. While the club remains linked with several high-profile names - with Liverpool continuing their search for two wide attackers, pursuing Paris Saint-Germain's Barcola alongside a rejected £50 million bid for Brighton's Minteh - the manager stays fully focused on maintaining stability within his existing squad.

Iraola elaborated on his distaste for the final stretch of the window, saying: 'I hate these 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty, not just in Liverpool but everywhere. But we have to not spend too much time thinking about these things.' When pressed specifically on the interest in Barcola and Minteh, the former Bournemouth boss remained tight-lipped to avoid any potential tapping-up controversies.

Adding to the sense of transition at Anfield is the imminent departure of academy graduate Curtis Jones. The midfielder is on the verge of a £30m move to Serie A champions Inter, a decision Iraola supports despite valuing the player's technical ability.

Iraola confirmed the talks that led to this decision, stating: 'I talked to him in the first or second training day. I value him a lot as a player, he loves this club, but I understood probably what the outcome would be in the end. He was coming from some years in the same position.'

With Robertson joining Tottenham earlier this summer, the vice-captaincy at Liverpool was left vacant. Iraola has moved to resolve this by appointing a new leadership group to support captain Virgil van Dijk. Alisson Becker, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Joe Gomez have been selected for the roles, though the manager noted a tactical shift regarding the captain's armband.

Explaining the logistical challenges of a goalkeeper captain, Iraola said: 'With the new rule I think there is a big limitation if a 'keeper wears the armband. Because if something happens in the opposition box the referee has to explain to the captains what's happening, all the decisions. I had one season with Neto in Bournemouth and then you have to start every game to say a different player that can act as a captain, and this is not viable.'

'But I wanted Alisson to feel like we value him,' Iraola added. 'I've had enough time and we will have more time to know each other, but I had to explain the decision about the armband to him. Unfortunately, they are putting the rules in a way that there is a lot of disadvantages to having a keeper as a captain.'