Andoni Iraola says Liverpool are still “quite thin” and want the squad ready by 1 September. He also said the club need more wide players, with Bradley Barcola still the main target and a £50m bid for Yankuba Minteh rejected earlier this week.

Iraola's case for more wide players

Speaking to BBC Sport, Iraola said: “As a manager, this is an easy one for me. I wanted the players for the first day on 13 July - everyone here and all the positions doubled with top-level players.” That is not where Liverpool are right now, and he did not try to dress it up.

He added: “there are certain situations that for me are clear – especially now on the wing because we don't have enough players specific to play in those positions.” Liverpool have added money and names to the window, but the wide areas still look light by his own description.

The club have already had a £50m bid for Yankuba Minteh turned down by Brighton, while Bradley Barcola remains the main target in that part of the pitch. Iraola said: “We will definitely sign some players. Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1. Because it is true that we are still quite thin.”

Jones exit adds to the depth concern

The other part of the window is the outgoings. Curtis Jones is set to complete a £30m move to Inter, which removes another option from the squad while Liverpool are still trying to strengthen. Iraola said he values Jones highly and understood his situation when they spoke.

Liverpool spent £440m in the 2025 summer window, and the combined fee for Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz was £320m. That level of outlay shows how aggressive the rebuild already has been, but it has not removed the need for another wide player.

Iraola also said the uncertainty of the final days of the window is part of the job, and Liverpool now look set to keep pushing until 1 September. The clearest message is still the same one he gave BBC Sport: the squad remains thin, and the wing positions remain the priority.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →