James Pearce has given an indication as to when Liverpool fans can expect to see new arrivals at the club during the summer transfer window.
The Merseysiders are undergoing a transitional period in which Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot as head coach and Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate have all departed as free agents, with replacements inevitably being sought.
By this time last year, the Reds had already signed Jeremie Frimpong and were about to break their transfer record for Florian Wirtz, although business has been a bit slower in coming this summer for two standout reasons.
In the latest Transfer DealSheet for The Athletic, Pearce outlined why Liverpool fans might need to be a bit patient for new signings to be confirmed.
He wrote: ‘There’s an acceptance internally that, due to the World Cup and Andoni Iraola’s desire to assess the talent he’s inherited in the early stages of pre-season, business is more likely to happen later in the window this time around.’
FSG are understood to be seeking ‘at least two’ forwards, with central midfield and right-back also cited as ‘positions that need to be addressed’.
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Liverpool have often been quick off the mark with new additions early in the summer – Frimpong last year was a prime example, along with Alexis Mac Allister in 2023 and Fabinho in 2018 – but that isn’t likely to be the case this time around.
As Pearce mentioned, many of the Reds’ reported transfer targets (most notably Yan Diomande) are occupied by the World Cup at present and might want to put any decisions on their club future on the back burner, even if Marc Cucurella joining Real Madrid on the same day that he played for Spain against Cape Verde was an exception.
Also, similar to Slot two years ago, Iraola will likely give himself time to work with the squad he’s inherited and formulate his own judgements on players before deciding which positions need strengthening and who might be disposable.
When the Dutchman replaced Jurgen Klopp in 2024, Liverpool didn’t enter the market until the last week of August, with Federico Chiesa the only senior addition to the squad for the title-winning season.
We expect there to be a few additions at Anfield before the transfer window shuts, but it might be another few weeks before the influx begins in earnest.
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