Liverpool icon Emile Heskey has urged Liverpool to bring in one of the world’s best wingers for Andoni Iraola this summer to get them back where they belong.

The Reds endured a difficult 2025/26 season as they finished fifth in the Premier League and trophyless, which saw the board opt to sack manager Arne Slot just 12 months after he won the title, with Spaniard Iraola on his way in on a two-year contract.

The club are expected to have a busy summer transfer window once again this year, with Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate all departing on free transfers, while others could be sold. That means some incomings are expected, with a forward understood to be a priority target.

Heskey: Liverpool Should Sign Kvaratskhelia

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move to sign RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande this summer, with the Bundesliga side putting a huge asking price on his head amid the heavy interest in his signature.

France international Bradley Barcola has also been linked, having found himself down the pecking order under Luis Enrique. However, while speaking at a Panini event, former Reds striker Emile Heskey admitted that he feels the club should be making a move for his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia instead, who Clarence Seedorf recently described as ‘the best player in the world’.

“Liverpool needs wingers and people that will chip in with pace, goals and assists,” he said. “Both Diomande and Barcola would be incredible signings.

“But for me, Kvaratskhelia would be an unbelievable signing for the club, he has everything. He’d be a tough one to try and pry away from PSG, but I’ve no doubt that he would be such a strong acquisition and provide so much quality.”

“I remember a few years ago watching him for Napoli play against Leicester and thinking ‘Wow, this kid has got the lot [Kvaratskhelia]’. He’s just a brilliant player but also has incredible work rate, he would suit Liverpool down to the ground.”

Heskey: Panini Stickers a Proud Career Moment

Emile Heskey was speaking at the launch of the Official Panini World Cup Sticker Collection Pop-up shop at Selfridges Oxford Street.

Speaking about the sticker book and the history behind it, the former Leicester and England icon admitted that it was a proud moment when he was included in one for the first time.

“Being part of a Panini sticker collection was always a proud moment in my career,” Heskey said.

“As a player, you know you’ve made it when kids around the world are hunting for your sticker, swapping you in the playground and trying to complete their albums. I remember that excitement myself, so to be here opening this pop-up and seeing that same buzz ahead of another FIFA World Cup is really special.”

Produced for every FIFA World Cup™ since 1970, Panini’s sticker collections have become a cultural countdown to kick-off for fans of all ages.

Having arrived in the summer of 2024 and then led Liverpool to Premier League glory in his debut season, not many would have predicted Arne Slot would be sacked after his second campaign at Anfield. However, it was clear to see standards had slipped in his final months.

The Reds won their league title with 84 points in 2024/25, but picked up 24 fewer this time around, dropping to fifth in the table – no team in the division had a bigger deficit. That poor form alone was probably enough to see the Dutchman sacked, but it wouldn’t have helped that he appeared to be losing the dressing room.

This was no clearer than when Mohamed Salah openly criticised the team’s displays under Slot, calling for a ‘heavy metal’ style of football as opposed to what the 47-year-old was delivering at Anfield. The post was liked by a considerable number of Liverpool stars, and a new report has revealed why some of the squad may have been glad to see their former coach depart.

According to SPORT BILD, via Anfield Watch, Slots ‘arrogant’ attitude towards some of his players left many feeling alienated. The eye-opening report claims that he didn’t handle some of the summer signings with the most grace when things weren’t panning out as planned.

“One problem was his handling of his star players,” the report explained. “While he was praised at the start of the season for his sensitive approach following the tragic death of star striker Diogo Jota, he crossed the line elsewhere.”

It then claims that “objective criticism became mixed with arrogance and personal barbs.” before noting:

It’s no wonder that this supposedly ‘didn’t go down well’ with many of the players. After all, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong both arrived from German club Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, while Hugo Ekitike joined from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Not only that, but the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo also arrived in England directly from German clubs, while record signing Alexander Isak also played in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.

What’s Next For Slot as Iraola Joins Liverpool

Despite apparent issues in the dressing room, Liverpool had planned to stick with Slot before having a sudden change of heart at the end of the season. Reports suggest the Duthcman was quite surprised by the call and had expected to remain in charge.

Despite a poor season, many clubs will have an eye on the 47-year-old who is now a free agent. AC Milan were immediately linked with him after the news broke, while there have been some suggestions that Slot would be open to taking the Dutch national team job, should it become vacant after the 2026 World Cup.

Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan has claimed: “If Ronald Koeman steps down after the World Cup…there is a vacancy at the Dutch national team. “I think Arne Slot is very, very much up for that; he’s probably the ideal candidate.

As for Liverpool, they’ve wasted no time in moving on, quickly appointing former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.

Tottenham are preparing for a busy summer transfer window, one that promises to be exciting and transformative after a disappointing campaign.

Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival helped Spurs avoid relegation on the final day of the Premier League season, after falling to new lows in the division.

While survival was a monumental moment for the manager, he emphasised that a campaign like that last one simply cannot happen again for Tottenham, with the solution being some transfer activity.

Signings are a priority, with Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson set to join the club on free transfers. Then there’s the bid made for Jan Paul van Hecke, which could see the Brighton defender move to North London.

Arrivals are key, but so too are exits, with a growing list of names set to leave Tottenham in the coming weeks.

Juventus Want Guglielmo Vicario

The latest reports from Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Juventus have joined the race to sign Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario in the summer transfer window.

The Serie A side were linked with the Italian shot-stopper previously, but with Inter Milan seemingly taking the lead, attention turned to Liverpool ace Alisson Becker.

That move has seemingly fallen through, leading to revived interest in Vicario, who could leave three years after moving to Tottenham from Empoli.

The 29-year-old was drafted in as the long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, and started admirably with some top performances, not only in making saves but by playing out well, which was a requirement for then-manager Ange Postecoglou.

As time has gone on, however, Vicario has struggled alongside his teammates, conceding 50 goals in the Premier League this season and keeping just seven clean sheets.

There have been question marks over his future as a result, which have only been emphasised with the performances of Antonin Kinsky since he was put into the side.

De Zerbi has described Vicario as a “top player”, however, and insisted that he was the number-one, despite selecting Kinsky ahead of him at the end of the campaign following his injury troubles.

It remains to be seen whether the manager will stand by that and insist that the goalkeeper stays, or whether Tottenham complete a deal and look to rebuild their goalkeeping ranks again.

Tottenham Must Rebuild Leadership Ranks

If Tottenham do decide to sell Vicario, then they will be losing a player who has been part of the squad’s leadership circle for the past few seasons.

He isn’t set to be the only one, as Cristian Romero’s potential exit is compounding the impact of a team losing those key voices in the dressing room.

It means that the recruitment team needs to not only look at the profile of players they are bringing in, but what they will offer in the squad dynamics.

Robertson’s impending arrival appears to be just as much about his experience and leadership as it is his quality and depth at left-back.

With so many young players in key areas of the squad, it’s clear that there needs to be some guiding hands within the team who can help progress them into leaders of the future.

It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will look for more leadership candidates to bring in during the summer window, but it’s clearly an area that needs addressing as much as the need for on-ball quality.