Liverpool head to St James’ Park to open their Premier League campaign away at Newcastle United, and Andoni Iraola is determined to add to his squad in the closing days of the transfer window.
The Reds produced a stunning last-gasp win at St James’ Park last season courtesy of youngster Rio Ngumoha, but their second half performance that day showed signs of the cracks that would later emerge to cost Arne Slot his job.
“I feel excited. I can feel it even in the atmosphere when you train with the players. You feel like this week is a little bit different,” Iraola said ahead of this year’s trip to Tyneside. “We’ve been preparing friendlies, we’ve been preparing for other opposition, but this smells different. I’m looking forward to being there on Sunday and feel the pressure and start a competition that is what we like.”
The Liverpool boss also addressed the ongoing transfer speculation surrounding his squad, admitting the uncertainty of the window is something he simply has to work around as the season begins.
“As a manager, this is an easy one for me. I wanted the players for the first day, July 13, everyone here, all the positions doubled, top-level players,” he explained. “But you understand how the competition works, that the market is open and you start the competition. We have to adapt as coaches to this situation. I hate these two weeks or these 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty – but not in Liverpool, everywhere because once the market is open.
“But we have to adapt. Honestly, I don’t want to spend too much time thinking on these things. I know that you will ask me a lot of questions about the market and this, but I am focused on the game against Newcastle. That is massive for me and using the very good players that we have right now in the building in the best way so we can be competitive from the beginning.”
Latest Liverpool transfer news
Despite Iraola’s focus firmly being on Newcastle, the business behind the scenes continues to rumble on. Liverpool have seen two bids rejected for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, worth £50m and £60m respectively, with the Seagulls understood to want in excess of £70m including add-ons for the highly-rated 22-year-old.
Journalist David Ornstein offered further insight on the situation to TNT Sports, revealing the sale of Cody Gakpo will be crucial.
“It definitely stands a chance, but if the numbers are not right for Liverpool, I hear that they have another option they’re weighing up and could pivot to if it doesn’t suit them with Minteh,” Ornstein said. “I’m not ruling it out, of course.
“Brighton know he’s a coveted talent, so they want in excess of £70 million with add-ons, and I’m not sure Liverpool will want to go quite that far, but I really like the look of this player and I think he could go to a level we’ve not seen so far. The injury is a concern, but if you’re so convinced by the talent, you could probably take the risk.”
But rather than Minteh being a fallback option if a move for Bradley Barcola falls through, Ornstein was clear that Liverpool see the two deals as entirely separate pieces of business.
“Liverpool are prioritising Barcola, there’s no doubt about it. If they can get him from PSG, then I think we’ll see Gakpo leave,” he said. “If they don’t get him in from PSG, I think they’ll happily keep Gakpo. Iraola really likes him. It’ll all come down to the fee with PSG, and the gap is too big at the moment.”
Asked directly whether it was a case of signing one winger or the other, Ornstein left no doubt over Liverpool’s intentions.
“No, both. Minteh for the right, Barcola for the left.”
How much will Barcola cost Liverpool?
According to RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins, PSG have no intention of keeping hold of the winger, and the valuation is the only real sticking point in negotiations.
“There’s no intention to keep Bradley Barcola. The sticking point has been the valuation, where they started at €170m,” Hawkins said.
“Liverpool have made different verbal offers. They’ve made offers since the verbal one, but there hasn’t been a written offer yet because, at this level, I think the next written offer will be the one that gets it done.
“We’ve understood that it would be somewhere between €130m and €150m, but in any case, it won’t be below €120m for Bradley Barcola. Everyone involved in this deal thinks there will be an agreement.”
Put that alongside the £70 million-plus Brighton want for Minteh, and it means Liverpool could be plotting a combined spend well over £200 million on the two wingers alone before the window shuts, on top of the business already done this summer, as Iraola looks to build a squad capable of mounting a serious defence of the title.
|
25/26 League Stats |
Bradley Barcola |
Yankuba Minteh |
|---|---|---|
|
Games |
29 |
34 |
|
Goals |
11 |
3 |
|
Assists |
1 |
4 |
|
Shots p/g |
2.3 |
1.2 |
|
Key passes p/g |
1.3 |
1.3 |
|
Dribbles p/g |
1.2 |
1.9 |
|
Deal likelihood |
Medium-High |
Medium |
Both players would add genuine quality to Liverpool’s forward options. Minteh has been one of the most exciting young wide players outside the traditional “big six” over the past year, prized for his directness and crossing ability, while Barcola’s searing pace and record in front of goal for PSG have made him one of the most in-demand attackers in Europe this summer.
