Liverpool's Transfer Strategy Under Andoni Iraola

Andoni Iraola is not finished with this Liverpool squad. Not yet.

With the summer window ticking towards its close and anxiety rising on Merseyside, former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson expects Anfield to be one of the busier addresses in the final stretch of the market.

He believes the real churn is only just beginning.

A squad in flux

Liverpool have already moved early in some areas. Jeremy Jacquet has finally walked through the door after signing a pre-contract in February, with Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo also joining the new era under Iraola.

Those arrivals, though, are set against some heavyweight departures that have jolted the fanbase. Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah have all left as free agents. Three pillars of recent seasons, gone for nothing in fees and leaving sizeable gaps in the dressing room and on the pitch.

The tension around the club is obvious. Pre-season has not soothed any nerves either. Defeats to Leeds United and Monaco have underlined what most supporters can already see: this squad still needs work.

Barcola, Mbaye and the hunt for value

Much of the noise has centred on one name: Bradley Barcola. Liverpool’s interest in the PSG winger is no secret, but the Champions League winners’ asking price has become a major obstacle. The talent is clear; the numbers are the problem.

So eyes have turned to another option. Ibrahim Mbaye has emerged as a potential alternative, viewed as a cheaper route into the same area of the pitch and a way to stretch the remaining budget across more than one deal.

This is where Borson’s view comes into focus. Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, he laid out what he expects from Liverpool in the final weeks.

“There’s then the clearing,” he said. “I think you have a sort of clearing situation where the clubs are trying to get rid of their fringe players.

“Liverpool, presumably, are going to start being active in the market. You’ve got to think they’re going to buy two or three players in the last couple of weeks.

“I still think there’s a lot of business that’s going to get done, but probably on the lower end, the sort of sub-£50million level.”

So the message is clear: don’t expect a galáctico-style splash, but do expect movement. Several pieces, not just one headline act.

Clearing the decks

For that to happen, players will almost certainly need to go. Iraola’s rebuild is not just about who comes in; it’s about who no longer fits.

Cody Gakpo is one of the names on the watchlist. Tottenham Hotspur hold an interest, though it remains unclear whether they will translate that into a concrete bid. Alexis Mac Allister’s situation has also been a recurring talking point, his future frequently dragged into the wider debate about what this Liverpool side should look like.

Then there is Alisson. Earlier in the summer, a move to Juventus looked plausible enough for the Brazilian’s name to drift into exit conversations. Time has changed the calculation. With only days remaining until the new season kicks off, the idea of cashing in on one of the world’s premier goalkeepers now would be reckless in the extreme.

Two weeks to define a season

So Liverpool stand at a familiar crossroads, but with unfamiliar questions. A new manager. Iconic players gone for free. A squad that looks short in key areas. And a transfer strategy that, according to Borson, will likely be built on multiple sub-£50million moves rather than one seismic deal.

The next fortnight will not just shape Iraola’s first campaign. It will reveal how bold, how ruthless, and how ambitious this new Liverpool really intend to be.