Liverpool faced a turbulent end to the 2025/26 season and a summer window that tested the patience of even their staunchest supporters. Among the earliest and most pressing concerns was Liverpool’s search for a goalkeeper, with genuine uncertainty over whether Alisson Becker would stay at Anfield. Thankfully, that situation was resolved when both sides agreed terms on a one-year contract extension, saving the club from an unwanted crisis between the sticks.
Then came more painful news; Mohamed Salah left Liverpool once and for all. After nine extraordinary years at the club, the King of Egypt has left a legacy that will never be matched.
Add in Andy Robertson’s departure, Ibrahima Konate’s free transfer to Real Madrid and Arne Slott’s resignation after two seasons in the dugout, and it’s clear that Liverpool have been reshaped almost beyond recognition.
New arrivals like Victor Muñoz and Ronald Araújo point to the direction Andoni Iraola wants to take the club. It will be interesting to see how Liverpool look in 2026/27 and whether this new-look squad can really compete on all fronts.
The Void of Prayer: How Great is the Harm?
There is no point in toning it down. The loss of Mohamed Salah is a seismic blow. Since arriving from Roma in 2017, Salah has rewritten Liverpool’s attacking identity. He has become the Premier League’s most reliable goal threat for almost a decade, finishing as the division’s top scorer on several occasions and directly contributing to some of the most memorable European nights in the club’s recent history.
His departure leaves a void in both productivity and mentality, a player who worries defenders just by standing on the pitch.
From a tactical perspective, Salah’s ability to cut in from the right and threaten the goal provided Liverpool with a consistent, predictable but almost unstoppable attacking line. No player currently in the squad replicates that profile.
Florian Wirtz, who arrived for £116m last summer, is a technically gifted player but has had a frustrating debut season, creating just five big chances and scoring just six times throughout the entire Premier League campaign. That return simply doesn’t justify the investment, and Iraola will have to find a way to unlock Wirtz more effectively than Slot has managed.
Iraola’s arrivals and signals
The arrival of Victor Muñoz from Osasuna is an interesting case. The Spanish winger brings energy, directness and a desire to press, all qualities perfectly suited to what Iraola requires from his wide players.
At Bournemouth, Iraola built a team around relentless intensity and quick transitions, and Muñoz fits that template well. He is not Salah’s replacement, but he doesn’t need to be. Instead of chasing a carbon copy of Klopp or Slot’s systems, Iraola is building something different.
Rennes’ Jérémy Jacquet adds depth at the back, although his contract was agreed before the end of the season. The young Frenchman has possession and reads the game well, but will need time to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League.
Virgil van Dijk is entering the final stages of his elite career and Joe Gomez’s pre-season injury has weakened his defensive options, with Iraola himself admitting that the backline is too thin; Jacquet may be asked to contribute sooner than expected.
Players to step up
Alexander Isak has the potential to be a central figure in Liverpool’s attack this season. The Swedish striker joined from Newcastle United for a Premier League record £130million last summer but managed just eight league starts due to injury.
Fit and firing, Isak is one of the most technically accomplished strikers in the country; his movement, finishing ability and ability to hold up play make him ideally suited to the fast-paced football favored by Iraola. A full pre-season without a break could be the catalyst for Liverpool’s paid off break campaign.
Hugo Ekitike’s situation adds another interesting dimension. The Frenchman was actually Liverpool’s top league scorer last season, which is saying a lot in Isak’s absence. His return from a ruptured Achilles tendon means Iraola could eventually have both strikers, although bringing them together as a front two will place significant demands on the midfield.
Ryan Gravenburch and Alexis McAllister looked long at times last season and the defensive cover they provide for the back four should be much improved. Dominik Szoboszlai, who has committed to Liverpool until 2031, adds quality in advanced areas, but using him as a number ten stretches Wirtz further, which may not be where the German is most effective.
Trophy prospects: realistic or wishful thinking?
Slott won the Premier League title in his debut campaign at Liverpool, which in hindsight now seems like a false dawn. A fifth-placed finish in the 2025/26 season was a real shock for Liverpool’s great club, and it exposed structural problems within the team that a change of manager will not solve alone.
Iraola has a strong background; What he built at Bournemouth was truly impressive, but rebuilding in the midst of a club where key figures have left and new signings are still finding their feet is a different challenge altogether.
Domestically, Liverpool will be fighting for the top four until real title contention materialises.
The FA Cup and Carabao Cup offer Iraola an early opportunity to deliver silverware and build momentum, and both competitions could suit a well-drilled, high-energy side. In Europe, Liverpool barely clung to Champions League status last season and they still need to prove they belong among the continent’s elite. A deep run in the competition will do wonders for the team’s confidence.
What makes this moment not just uncertain but truly exciting is that Iraola has a proven philosophy, an elite group of players in need of direction and a fan base hungry to see Anfield restored to its best. Reconstruction is real, the challenges are clear, but so is the potential. If Iraola can organize this squad and get the best out of Isak, Wirtz and the new arrivals, Liverpool could surprise a few people before this season is over.