Andoni Iraola had not yet fully enjoyed his first victory as Liverpool head coach when he faced a personnel problem.
The Kop defeated Sunderland 4-2 in the pre-season friendly, but Joe Gomez's injury after only 8 minutes sounded an alarm bell. With the Premier League season only about 4 weeks away from starting, Liverpool clearly needs to soon have decisive moves in the transfer market.
Right at the debut press conference earlier this month, Iraola admitted that strengthening the force is Liverpool's top priority in the summer transfer window. Speaking at the team's headquarters in Chicago this week, the Spanish strategist continued to emphasize the need to add a winger. Besides, he also admitted that the team's defense is too thin.
Those concerns quickly became reality in the match against Sunderland. Newcomer Jeremy Jacquet had to sit out due to a minor injury right before kick-off. According to British media, Liverpool only wants to prevent risks, because this center-back has just returned after a long period of treatment for a shoulder injury he suffered when playing for Rennes.
Jacquet's absence makes Gomez the only experienced center-back that Iraola has at his disposal. However, the 29-year-old defender also left the field early due to injury. This forced Liverpool to give the opportunity to two young players Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe - new recruits of the academy recruited this year from Amitie FC and Austria Vienna - to take on the center-back position for most of the remaining time of the match.
Of course, the return of captain Virgil van Dijk will give Iraola more options. The Dutch center-back did not participate in the US tour to rest after last season. In addition, Liverpool also highly appreciates Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, the young Italian international recruited from Parma last summer. Both are considered the most promising young center-backs in Europe.
However, neither Jacquet nor Leoni have experience playing in the Premier League. Leoni is currently recovering from a anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained in his debut match against Southampton in September last year. Meanwhile, the departure of Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer to join Real Madrid last month further undermined Liverpool's defense experience. If Gomez has to be sidelined for a long time, the personnel problem in the defense will become even more difficult.
Before Gomez was injured, the "Reds" did not consider adding a central defender as a priority after Konate's departure. However, the latest developments are likely to force the club's board of directors to reconsider the transfer plan. Even if Gomez recovers soon, his injury history is still a concern. Besides, both Gomez and Van Dijk, who just turned 35, only have one year left on their contracts.
The weaknesses in the defense once contributed to Arne Slot losing his position last season. Therefore, Iraola understands that if Liverpool does not add at least one center-back this summer, he can completely face similar difficulties.
Clearly, Iraola will need more time to build Liverpool into a team capable of competing in the Premier League as well as the European arena. And for that process to take place more smoothly, the Spanish strategist certainly wants the team to complete more new contracts in the summer transfer window soon.
