Liverpool’s Transfer Plan: Strengthening the Squad with Key Signings

Andoni Iraola is not hiding behind vague promises. He knows Liverpool are light, he knows the window is ticking, and he has nailed his colours to the mast: more signings are coming before the summer deadline.

The question is where he strengthens first.

Wide Areas Top the List

On the flanks, the need is glaring. Left wing and right wing sit at the top of Liverpool’s shopping list, with negotiations under way with PSG for Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.

Talks have been described as active, while elsewhere reports say Liverpool have already seen a £50 million offer for Yankuba Minteh knocked back. That bid has raised eyebrows, not least because it feels just as much like a bargaining chip as a genuine push. The sense around the deal is that Liverpool’s interest in Minteh may be a way of turning the screw on PSG over their valuation of Mbaye.

Either way, the message is clear: Iraola wants more firepower out wide, and he wants it quickly.

Midfield Depends on Curtis Jones

Then comes the engine room. Even before any departures, there has been a nagging sense that Liverpool are one midfielder short for a season that will be packed with fixtures.

Curtis Jones is on his way to Inter Milan, and that changes the picture. Iraola already needed another body in there to handle the schedule. If Jones goes, that need becomes non-negotiable. One midfielder felt like a sensible addition; after his sale, it turns into a requirement.

Adam Wharton is the dream pick. The Crystal Palace midfielder has admirers at Anfield and would instantly raise the technical level and control in the middle of the pitch. But there is a brutal reality attached to that ambition: a £100 million asking price that makes any move extremely difficult.

So Liverpool must balance desire with practicality. The profile is clear, even if the name is not.

The Right-Back Debate Won’t Go Away

Right-back remains a running argument among supporters. Some point to Ronald Araujo’s ability to fill in there and see a solution already in the squad. Iraola has that option up his sleeve and knows the Uruguayan can perform to a high level on the flank.

Yet there is a different school of thought, and it is growing louder: a club with Liverpool’s ambitions should not be relying on a converted centre-back to cover such a key position. A specialist right-back would tidy up the depth chart and give Iraola a more natural outlet on that side.

Hector Fort has emerged as a name of interest. The 20-year-old has been on Liverpool’s radar since they were first linked with a loan move, and the early homework on him has been encouraging. He fits the brief: young, energetic, technically sound, and capable of growing with this squad.

Four Names, One Clear Direction

Strip it back and the wish list is simple: two wingers, one midfielder, one right-back.

Barcola and Mbaye would inject pace and unpredictability on the flanks. Wharton, if a deal could ever be forced through, would bring control and composure to midfield. Fort would offer a natural solution on the right side of defence.

Those four signings would not just pad out the squad. They would reshape it. They would give Iraola the depth and quality he needs to walk into the 2026/27 Premier League season not just hoping to compete, but expecting to.