Liverpool’s Summer Rebuild Leaves More Questions Than Answers

Liverpool have had a summer of bold moves and painful exits. The question is whether the net result leaves Andoni Iraola with enough to compete across four fronts, or whether this is a squad that will start showing cracks once the fixture pile-up begins.

The Exits Hurt More Than the Arrivals Suggest

Losing Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all on free transfers is a brutal pill to swallow. These were not fringe players. These were leaders, experienced heads who had won trophies and knew what it took to perform under pressure at Anfield. Add Curtis Jones leaving for Inter Milan and you have a squad that has shed serious quality through the exit door.

Liverpool did reinvest. Bradley Barcola at £123m is a statement signing, and when you pair him with Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, the attacking trio on paper looks frightening. The club believes those three could become one of the most feared attacks in Europe, and we do not think that is just spin. There is genuine quality there.

But football is not played on paper, and the early signs from the first two Premier League games are not encouraging. Liverpool conceded twice in both matches and looked vulnerable every time the opposition got in behind them.

The Defensive Problem Nobody Wants to Admit

This is where Liverpool's summer gets uncomfortable to assess. Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are both sidelined with long-term injuries. Joe Gomez picked up a pre-season knock. Ronald Araujo has come in on loan from Barcelona as a stop-gap, which is fine, but stop-gaps have a habit of becoming problems when the schedule gets intense.

Virgil van Dijk's contract expires next summer, and Liverpool's decision on Araujo, who comes with a £47m buy option, may well depend on what happens with the Dutchman. That is a lot of uncertainty at the heart of defence for a team trying to compete in the Premier League and the Champions League simultaneously.

Jeremie Frimpong has not convinced at right-back and a deadline-day attempt to bring Malo Gusto in on loan from Chelsea reportedly fell through. Milos Kerkez at left-back has started slowly too. The full-back positions are not producing what Liverpool need right now.

And then there is the midfield issue. Liverpool have not had a proper defensive midfielder since Fabinho left in 2023. Iraola brushed past the question after the Newcastle defeat but that does not make it go away. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are quality players, but neither is a natural number six, and the gap behind the front three will be exposed again.

A Young Squad Built for the Future, But What About Now?

The average age of Liverpool's first-team signings across the past two windows sits at 22. That tells you everything about the direction the club is moving in. This is a long-term project, and there is nothing wrong with that approach in principle.

The problem is that long-term projects need short-term patience, and Liverpool fans are not in a patient mood after last season. Arne Slot won the Premier League and then lost the dressing room in the space of twelve months. Iraola is starting fresh with a squad that is still finding its shape.

Barcola could be the player who lights up Anfield and makes everyone forget the concerns. Liverpool feel they have signed one of the best wide forwards in world football and his debut at Ipswich on Friday will be watched closely. If he hits the ground running, the mood around the club will shift quickly.

Teenage defenders like Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe impressed in pre-season, and goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans at 18 is clearly a player being developed for the future rather than thrown in now. These are encouraging signs for 2027 and beyond. But Liverpool need results in 2025.

Our Read on Where This Season Is Heading

Liverpool are a side with a dazzling ceiling and a worrying floor. When Wirtz, Isak and Barcola are clicking, they will destroy teams. When the defensive shape breaks down and injuries bite, they could drop points they cannot afford to lose.

For betting purposes, Liverpool at home look worth backing when the front three are fully fit and firing. Their away form against sides who press high and counter quickly is where we would be more cautious, at least until the squad finds its rhythm.

We think Liverpool finish in the top four this season, but a title challenge looks a stretch given the current defensive fragility. The Champions League is where this side could genuinely surprise people, and getting a run going in that competition might actually be what saves Iraola's first season in charge.

The summer raised big questions. The answers are coming whether Liverpool are ready or not.