With the start of the 2026/27 season fast approaching, there is much for Liverpool supporters to get excited about. It is hoped that Andoni Iraola will bring exciting football back to Anfield, after a 2025/26 campaign that was disappointing in terms of results and could not rely on style as a saving grace. The Basque manager is young and brings fresh ideas to the table, though the same could also have been said about Arne Slot.
Reds supporters will also be hugely excited to have a fully fit Alexander Isak, while they will hope that Iraola can get the most out of attacking left-back Milos Kerkez, who played under him to such good effect at Bournemouth. There is also the prospect of Rio Ngumoha getting a lot more game time, plus other exciting youngsters are coming through and should feature.
But Big Issues
Those are huge positives, but at the same time, Liverpool have a growing crisis on their hands before a ball has even been kicked in the new season. Crisis might be overstating things, but certainly Iraola has a big problem at the heart of his defence. Liverpool’s defence last term was poor.
Virgil van Dijk is showing all the signs of being past his best and now 35, it is difficult to know how he will perform in the year ahead. Pace and power were such a big part of his game at his best, but those are the first things to go, and he may struggle, especially given Iraola favours a high line. Ibrahima Konate suffered from poor form, as did all the defence, perhaps as a consequence of VVD no longer being the rock he has been for so long.
Full backs are a big part of Iraola’s attacking philosophy, but the Reds, who conceded 53 goals last term, have a major issue in the centre. Last season 12 clubs conceded fewer goals than Slot’s men, so this is an area they simply have to improve in. But with the new campaign drawing closer, Iraola has just one fully fit centre back on which to call. And he is 35.
Injuries and Inexperience
Van Dijk played every single minute of league action last term, but if Liverpool are to be successful this term it seems likely they will have to use him more sparingly. The club will be in the Champions League again and, competing on four fronts, the games will come thick and fast, with limited time for recovery. That is a big issue at 35, especially given there were clear signs of Van Dijk showing his age under Slot. If they can rest him at times, they may be able to eke one more excellent season from him, and they will certainly need his experience.
Joe Gomez
The club’s only other experienced central defender is Joe Gomez. He moved to Merseyside from Charlton in 2015, which makes him the longest-serving player at the club. However, it has been an injury-hit decade-and-a-bit at Liverpool, with stats showing injury has prevented him from playing a massive total of 225 games since he moved north.
Bad luck has again hit Gomez, as Iraola was dealt a big blow in the Reds’ first pre-season clash. The defender was injured just eight minutes into the 4-2 win over Sunderland and left the pitch two minutes later. It is unclear how serious the injury is, but given the new manager had described his options at the back as “very thin” ahead of the game in Nashville, it certainly will not help preparations for the new campaign.
Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool have certainly not had luck on their side, with promising youngster Giovanni Leoni (who is 19 now) suffering a very serious ACL tear on his debut for the club. He had looked good against Southampton in September 2025 but was ruled out for around a year. His rehabilitation continues, but he is not yet working with the rest of the squad.
Marc Guehi
The Reds did sign another centre back this summer, having missed out on Marc Guehi last term. They paid around £60m (including add-ons) for French defender Jeremy Jacquet, then just 20, with the deal agreed at the start of the year but the player not moving until this summer. Jacquet, however, injured his shoulder playing for French side Rennes in February and it was serious enough to rule him out for the rest of the season.
Jérémy Jacquet
Jacquet is another who is continuing his recovery, though he is ahead of Leoni and should feature in the tour of America. The club also have two even younger players at their disposal, having bought Austria’s Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye from Senegal. Both were signed very much for the future. But both were forced to play against Sunderland, so perhaps crisis is not an inaccurate description after all.
Mor Talla Ndiaye
Ndiaye is only 18 and has played very little senior football, while Ndukwe is the same age but has a little more experience, having played most of the 2025/26 campaign for Austria Wien II. Will Iraola be given funds for another centre back? That may depend on the extent of Gomez’s injury, but it is not the start the new boss would have wanted.
🚨⚠️ Liverpool centre back Giovanni Leoni has torn his ACL and will be out for several months.
After excellent debut in League Cup last night with also Arne Slot very happy, an unlucky injury for Leoni who will try to be back before the end of the season. pic.twitter.com/TWFvj5jKfY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 24, 2025