Liverpool
Liverpool’s First XI Looks Strong, But Depth Remains the Concern
Liverpool ended summer with signs of progress, but the depth behind the strongest XI still raises doubts.
Liverpool closed their summer with a 2-0 win over an ambitious Serie A side, a result that offered a sharper read on where the team stands heading into 2026/27. Cody Gakpo and Jérémy Jacquet scored in the first half, while an earlier behind-closed-doors training match between the clubs finished goalless.
The summer had brought plenty of change. Mohamed Salah had departed, the manager’s role had changed, and more players had left than arrived. Preseason had also been uneven, with victories over Sunderland and Wrexham followed by damaging defeats to Leeds United and Monaco. In both losses, Liverpool led 2-0 before collapsing late.
After the Monaco defeat, Andoni Iraola admitted the squad was short of the required physical level. “Right now, we probably don’t have much more [than 30 minutes], in terms of the levels required to play like this.” He added that “it will take time” and that “more training” was needed.
The final friendly suggested improvement. Liverpool again built a 2-0 lead, but this time there was no second-half breakdown. It was only their second clean sheet of the summer, and the first against top-flight opposition. Even though Como had more possession, more shots, more shots on target and more corners, Liverpool held firm.
There were encouraging signs throughout the side. Alexis Mac Allister returned in the closed-door game after his World Cup final involvement, while Víctor Muñoz also featured across the day. The matchday XI looked close to Liverpool’s strongest available lineup, with Jacquet impressing alongside Virgil van Dijk after recovering from a summer injury setback.
Jeremie Frimpong remained available, Milos Kerkez provided balance on the other flank, and Dominik Szoboszlai plus Ryan Gravenberch gave the midfield a stronger look. Rio Ngumoha filled the Salah-shaped space on the right, Cody Gakpo was effective on the left, and Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak had more room to build understanding centrally.
The issue is what comes next. Ronald Araújo made his unofficial debut from the bench, but with Joe Gomez unavailable and Giovanni Leoni still sidelined, Liverpool’s defensive depth looks thin. Beyond that, the bench offered little first-team cover. The starting XI has a promising shape, but the wider squad still leaves questions.
Liverpool
Manchester City move for Allan Elias as Cody Gakpo interest also emerges
City have agreed a deal for Allan Elias and are also tracking Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo.
Manchester City are not treating the 2026 summer window as a finished job after committing heavily to Ayyoub Bouaddi and a possible club-record central midfielder. The club are still working on wide options as Enzo Maresca continues shaping a squad expected to challenge Arsenal for the title.
The shortage on the flanks is already clear. Jérémy Doku, Antoine Semenyo and a returning Jack Grealish are the main options currently available to Maresca, although Grealish could yet depart before the deadline after spending last season at Everton.
According to The Athletic, City have already reached an agreement for one attacker. Allan Elias is set to join from Palmeiras, with City paying a guaranteed $43.7 million (£32.1 million). The fee can rise to a maximum of $46.7 million (£34.3 million) through minor add-ons. That figure is well below the release clause that was first believed to be in play.
Allan is not viewed as a raw teenager in the mould of Endrick or Estêvão. At 22, he arrives with more senior experience, having recorded 21 goals and assists across 96 matches. He is still waiting for a first international appearance, despite his age and price tag.
His profile suggests a player with several uses. He is described as a strong dribbler, but also someone who contributes defensively and could operate as a wingback. Left-footed and used on the right, he appears to fit the role Savinho would leave behind.
City may not stop there. A separate Athletic report says the club are also interested in Cody Gakpo of Liverpool. It is a notable development, especially after Gakpo drew frustration from Liverpool supporters last season and was expected to move on this summer. Tottenham Hotspur have also revived previous interest, but Gakpo’s display in Liverpool’s fractured performance against Newcastle United on Sunday has brought him back into focus.
Liverpool
How Iraola Could Address Liverpool’s Midfield Exposure
Iraola sees Liverpool’s midfield issue as collective, not one player’s fault, and may turn to Mac Allister.
Andoni Iraola has dismissed the idea that Liverpool’s problem can be solved simply by signing a specialist defensive midfielder. After Newcastle United repeatedly exposed the space through the middle on Sunday, the new boss insisted the issue runs deeper than one position.
The warning signs were plain in the 2-2 draw. Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz were both caught ahead of the ball before Newcastle’s second goal, while Dominik Szoboszlai was in place but unable to prevent Yoane Wissa moving forward. Former defender Jamie Carragher called the situation “madness,” saying: “This midfield cannot work, I said it before a competitive ball was kicked.”
Iraola took a different view. “It’s not just personnel,” he said after the match. “There were different reasons for both the goals which happened in transition.
“… It’s not just because one person is playing there [as a holding midfielder]. It’s something we have to correct between a lot of players.”
The concern is not new. Since the start of last season, only Sunderland have conceded more Premier League goals on the counterattack than Liverpool, who have shipped seven. By comparison, defending champions Arsenal have allowed just one over the same period.
One route is behavioural rather than structural. As Carlo Ancelotti has argued, defenders need a more pessimistic mindset than forwards. In Liverpool’s case, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai have too much attacking instinct for a midfield shield, and both rushed into Newcastle’s box early on Sunday. Gravenberch, in particular, has increasingly ventured forward over the past year after excelling in a deeper role during Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.
Iraola’s own Bournemouth side showed industry last season but were also exposed in transition, so a positional tweak may not be his instinct. Instead, he appears to want the team to “finish the action” before counterattacks begin. On Newcastle’s first goal, he felt Liverpool should have taken the chance themselves rather than allow the move to break down. “For the first one [goal] I think we should just finish the great chance we created,” he said. “We were on the edge of the box with a clear situation to shoot, but we didn’t and then you have to give credit to Elanga for winning the race.”
The second goal pointed to another missed chance to stop the break earlier. “It wasn’t like they caught us by surprise,” he said. “We should compete for the first ball and probably make a foul–be a bit more aggressive against the ball carrier.”
That leaves Alexis Mac Allister as a possible internal answer. He began on the bench, with Wirtz alongside Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, but soon after Newcastle’s second goal Iraola introduced Mac Allister and adjusted the midfield triangle with the Argentine at its base.
Liverpool
Four lessons from Liverpool’s uneven start under Andoni Iraola
Iraola’s first Liverpool outing exposed risk, frustration and unanswered questions across the pitch.
Andoni Iraola began his Liverpool reign with the honesty expected of a manager who knew perfection was never likely on day one. “I would like to say on the first day we are going to be perfect, everyone will be in place,” he said with a strained smile, “but probably it is not going to be like this.” It was a line that quickly matched the evidence on the pitch.
With transfer business still unresolved, Liverpool’s current group offered no easy lift to the mood. Iraola’s football is built on controlled risk, and he has been clear about his preference. “I prefer to make mistakes,” he told Jamie Carragher before his debut. That approach was laid bare early at St James’ Park, where Liverpool’s midfield shape left them exposed in the fifth minute.
Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai were both caught ahead of the ball after Amar Dedić won possession back for Newcastle inside his own penalty area. Florian Wirtz was skipped past by the slide, and the home side were suddenly running into open space. It was a problem that returned later, with Gravenberch again advanced for Newcastle’s second goal after losing the ball near the opposition box. Szoboszlai, meanwhile, was too weak in his attempt to stop Yoane Wissa or eventual scorer Joe Willock.
There were also signs that Liverpool remain in the market for width. Bradley Barcola is viewed as the priority on the left, while Yankuba Minteh is being closely monitored for the other side. Either move would affect Rio Ngumoha, who has already built his reputation from the left. He has made 30 senior appearances for Liverpool, and only one has come on the right. A move for Barcola would push him, and Víctor Muñoz, over there more often.
Ngumoha’s 60-minute spell offered little comfort. Lewis Hall kept him on the touchline and forced him into narrower, weaker positions whenever he tried to come inside. Alexander Isak faced a hostile reception throughout, and when Liverpool were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, he did not take it. Szoboszlai did instead and scored. Wirtz also struggled to influence the game behind him, and Iraola’s warning about Liverpool’s “overplaying” in the final third felt justified. After an expensive first season, the pressure on Wirtz remains considerable.
