Stephen Warnock highlights four-man Liverpool problem – & Andoni Iraola agrees

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Empire of the Kop

·13 July 2026

Stephen Warnock highlights four-man Liverpool problem – & Andoni Iraola agrees

Stephen Warnock has urged Liverpool to sign a right-back, centre-back and right winger this summer.

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The former Red pointed to the Reds’ struggles in the backline, with Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley struggling for fitness at right-back.

Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate’s departure on a free transfer has left Andoni Iraola’s men a man short in the heart of the defence.

Liverpool have four key positions to reinforce this summer

It’s hard not to feel a little let down by Liverpool’s recruitment department this summer.

While our French international’s demands may have proven prohibitive to extending his terms at L4, it feels like we’ve been sleepwalking to a disappointing end to the summer transfer window.

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And that simply is an unacceptable outcome for a club in obvious, desperate need of reinforcements – never mind a club of Liverpool’s size and stature.

“This is such a difficult one, but personally I think you’ve got to get a centre-back and a right-back,” Warnock was speaking exclusively to Empire of the Kop on behalf of BetTOM.

“I think it’s so imperative that Liverpool sort out that back line. They were weak last year, even with Konate.

“Then you look at that right-back position. You’ve lost Conor Bradley through injury, Frimpong didn’t settle in, didn’t find form, had too many injuries himself.

“We’ve obviously got Jacquet coming into the squad and got Leoni coming back, but it’s a big ask for two young players to step into those positions.

“However, they are hugely exciting players, and now it’s a case of: who’s going to play right-back? Can Conor stay fit enough for the season? That’s a big ask.

“I’m just going to be greedy. I want a centre-back, a right-back and a right winger, because I think that’s what Liverpool need. I think they need a centre midfielder as well to help out in that area, because I think they’re quite light in centre midfield.”

We can absolutely see how the club can get away with signing one midfielder – ideally a competent No.6 who can cover ground and offer some creative spark – but the forward department remains concerningly bare.

Andoni Iraola needs bodies at Anfield

New boss Andoni Iraola framed the problem perfectly in his first presser at the AXA training centre: “We’ve signed two players but we need more. We know this; we are working on this. As a coach I want the players here from day one, selfishly, but we know it doesn’t work like this. We’re working hard for those signings.”

How can we expect our head coach to deliver a return to high-octane, press-heavy football without the requisite number of bodies?

Given this is a manager who also likes to rotate his options in the forward line to keep things fresh, how on earth can we expect to get away with signing just the one further winger in the window?

Never mind the fact we seem to be gambling the success of the window on whether or not we sign Bradley Barcola. An awfully dangerous game to be playing when there’s still so much in the way of business that needs to be done.

If you want our opinion on the matter, we think Iraola’s being badly let down ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Which is utterly astonishing, given how our recruitment failed to supply Arne Slot with enough bodies to compete last term.