Phil Thompson says Liverpool still need four or five more signings before they can seriously compete. The former captain pointed to defence, midfield and a wide player as the biggest gaps, and warned that Jacquet remains a question if he is not fully ready.

Liverpool's remaining gaps

Speaking to liverpoolecho.co.uk, Thompson said: "Defensively we do need more. It is a particular area if Jacquet isn't fully ready, who is going to be there? It's a difficult one. We still need recruitment. I think we probably need four, maybe five players in total in different positions. Defensively, certainly, a midfield player, a wide player; you need two quality players for every position. There's work to be done."

That view lines up with his broader point on squad balance. Thompson said Liverpool cannot head into the season light in those areas, even if the club have the spending power to act. He also argued that the finance side is less restrictive than many assume because of sales and investment.

The Newcastle opener is on 2026-08-23 at 15:30 UTC, which leaves little time for the squad to settle. Newcastle's visit is the first league test in a run that also includes Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Fulham and Bournemouth.

Iraola's challenge at Liverpool

Thompson's other point was about the sort of game [Andoni Iraola](plain text only) is being asked to solve. He said Bournemouth often had the underdog role and could lean on counter-attacking football, while Liverpool have to break down packed defences more often.

He also said the attacking names matter, with Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak singled out in his comments. That is the hard part for Liverpool now: they do not just need bodies, they need players who fit a team expected to have the ball and open games up.

On that reading, the warning is less about panic than depth. Liverpool still have a short window before the opener against Newcastle, and Thompson's point was simple enough, the squad is not yet where he thinks it needs to be.

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