Andoni Iraola, Liverpool head coach, has warned of a Liverpool winger shortage at Anfield saying the Premier League club needs more players in wide attacking positions before beginning the new campaign away to Newcastle United on Sunday.
Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot after Liverpool’s fifth-place finish last season, faces his first competitive match in charge at St James’ Park with the significant task of reshaping an attack that no longer includes Mohamed Salah.
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The departure of Salah has left a particularly prominent gap.
The Egypt international ended his nine-year Liverpool career earlier this summer before completing a move to Turkish club Trabzonspor on August 6.
Liverpool confirmed that Salah left as the club’s third-highest scorer, having scored 257 goals in 442 appearances and won eight major honours, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
For Iraola, the challenge is not simply to find another player capable of replicating Salah’s numbers.
The Spaniard wants greater depth across the flanks so Liverpool can maintain attacking intensity throughout a demanding season.
“In terms of what we need, there are certain situations that, for me, are clear, especially on the wing because we do not have enough players able to play in those positions,” Iraola told reporters on Friday.
The Liverpool manager also stressed that any further recruitment must improve the overall quality of his squad rather than simply fill a positional vacancy.
“It is not about signing a player because we need someone in a particular position. No. It is about improving the squad,” he said.
Liverpool have already added winger Victor Muñoz from Osasuna, while Federico Chiesa and teenage prospect Rio Ngumoha provide further options.
However, injuries and uncertainty surrounding Cody Gakpo’s future have left Iraola with limited alternatives around Alexander Isak.
The club’s recruitment plans remain active. Liverpool have reportedly pursued Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, with a reported £50 million offer rejected, while other wide players have also been linked with a move to Anfield.
The need for reinforcements has been evident throughout Iraola’s first pre-season.
Liverpool recorded victories over Sunderland and Wrexham before suffering a 4-2 defeat to Leeds United during their United States tour, exposing some of the squad’s weaknesses.
Iraola had already acknowledged the need for further recruitment during his first Liverpool press conference in July.
“Obviously, we have signed two players already but we need more players. We know this. The club is working on this,” he said at the time.
The rebuilding job extends beyond the wings. Liverpool also lost experienced defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson during the summer, increasing the pressure on younger players to assume greater responsibility.
“We lost a lot in terms of experience, high-level players who have performed so well for so many years here,” Iraola said.
Despite those departures, the manager remains encouraged by the attitude of his players.
Liverpool qualified for the Champions League after finishing fifth last season, while Iraola’s former club Bournemouth ended sixth and secured European football for the first time in their history under his leadership.
Liverpool therefore enter the 2026/27 campaign in transition.
The club won the Premier League title in 2024/25 but endured a difficult defence the following season, finishing fifth with 12 league defeats.
Iraola is now attempting to restore a more energetic and aggressive style while managing expectations around a squad undergoing significant change.
His reputation for high-intensity football, built during his successful Bournemouth spell, provides Liverpool with reason for cautious optimism.
The transfer window remains open until September 1, giving Liverpool limited time to address the winger shortage and other weaknesses before the squad is settled.
For now, however, Iraola is concentrating on the immediate challenge at Newcastle.
“The market is open when you start the season. We have to adapt as coaches to this situation because there is a lot of uncertainty,” he said.
“I am focused on the game against Newcastle. That is massive for me.”
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The opening fixture will offer an early indication of how quickly Iraola’s Liverpool can adapt to a new era, particularly without the player who spent nine seasons defining the club’s attack from the right flank.
