The rise and fall of Arne Slot has paved the way for talks to gather pace between Liverpool and former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, with the Spaniard now appearing next in line for the Anfield hot seat. It would represent a major change of scenery from the south coast, with the 43-year-old potentially stepping into one of football’s biggest pressure cookers at a club where silverware is demanded.
That expectation, however, appears to cut both ways. Iraola has reportedly requested five new signings should he arrive this summer, while four current squad members could also find themselves on the chopping block as Liverpool look to balance the books and tailor a squad fit for his renowned intensity.
After FSG shattered the British transfer fee record twice in less than 12 months, the funds are clearly there to hand their prospective new manager a sizeable war chest. What lurks just around the corner for the Reds, then, is another busy transfer period.
The Reds are weighing up their options should they decide to sack Arne Slot
The 5 Signings Andoni Iraola Wants to Make at Liverpool
Thanks to securing Champions League football with a fifth-place finish, it had initially been suggested that Slot’s position at Anfield was safe. However, a combination of flat performances and growing frustration in the stands ultimately left the owners with little room to manoeuvre, forcing their hand ahead of another changing of the guard.
With Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all departing on free transfers, Liverpool are crying out for reinforcements this summer. According to ESPN, signing an elite winger is high on the club’s list of priorities, with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola both under consideration.
Closer to home, the Reds could also turn their attention to West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen after the Hammers suffered relegation from the Premier League on the final day. Meanwhile, midfield is another area in need of attention, and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is understood to be a player of interest, with his energetic, front-footed style appearing tailor-made for Iraola’s approach.
Liverpool are also admirers of Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries, who could finally provide a dependable solution at right-back, with his £21.6 million release clause making a deal more than plausible. Both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong spent lengthy spells on the sidelines during the 2025/26 campaign, leaving the club eager to avoid being caught short in the position they shoehorned Curits Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai in again.
The Liverpool Players Who Could be Axed
In terms of outgoings, Alisson Becker and Curtis Jones are both attracting interest from Italy, with Juventus and Inter Milan reportedly monitoring their situations. Federico Chiesa is also expected to head back to his native country.
While Jones and Chiesa have largely become peripheral figures in a squad that has arguably outgrown them, the potential departure of Alisson would force Liverpool into a major decision: continue placing their faith in Giorgi Mamardashvili or enter the market for a new No. 1.
Liverpool’s 2025/26 squad has been ranked ahead of the summer transfer window, and many players could face uncertain futures.
Joe Gomez’s future is also far from certain heading into the summer window, although reports suggest the England international could see out the final year of his contract before moving on next summer. Meanwhile, the other player whose future has come under scrutiny is Cody Gakpo.
Much of that discussion has been driven by sections of the Anfield faithful, who feel his more measured and predictable style of play may not fit Iraola’s high-octane approach. As a result, excitement is beginning to build around highly rated youngster Rio Ngumoha, who is increasingly being tipped for a more prominent role.
In an awful run of news, English football icon John Barnes has revealed he also has cancer. It comes in the same week that two other Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan also shared they had the disease.
The former winger said he was diagnosed after his kids forced him to get checked. Speaking on Times Radio, he explained that the topic can feel taboo as men believe it makes them “less than a man.”
Going into more detail, he explained that he has prostate cancer, noting:
“Men have to then bite the bullet and swallow their pride and admit if they have problems and say it. So it’s a good thing that that has come out.
“I’m fine. I have my PSA and everything is okay. The thing about it is that a lot of men don’t want to admit it or want to have it done because it makes them feel less than a man.
“But you’re not, you’re exactly the same, you’re the same person and you’re around and that’s the main thing.”
The news comes after Liverpool legend Keegan revealed his cancer diagnosis at the start of the year, while Dalglish has also revealed he is receiving treatment for cancer.
It was a brilliant season for Arsenal as they won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. However, Mikel Arteta will look back on it with a sense of frustration after the Gunners came so close to a historical double.
Indeed, the Gunners were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, losing on penalties after the teams played out a 1-1 draw across 120 minutes. The club’s Spanish manager is not one to rest on his laurels, and it appears as though Arsenal are already working on improving in 2026/27.
The summer transfer market is the most obvious way to address any shortcomings. With that in mind, it seems Arteta and his staff will be busy in the coming months with some notable arrivals. To fund that, however, some players will have to leave.
Ben White has long been one of the most reliable players in Arteta’s team, respected by teammates and fans for regularly putting his body on the line for the club since arriving from Brighton in 2021. Sadly, that commitment has cost him at times, and he’s spent the past two seasons plagued by injuries.
Jurrien Timber has made the first-choice right-back spot his own, while Cristhian Mosquera appears to be an able alternative as well. That said, the report names Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento as a potential target this summer.
Gabriel Martinelli
One of the few players in the current team to have joined before Arteta took charge, Gabriel Martinelli arrived as a teenager in 2019 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular. While a reliable squad option, just one goal in the Premier League this season is far from ideal.
If Arsenal want to reach an even greater level, it’s little wonder they are looking at the left flank as an area to improve upon. The report suggests Marcus Rashford could be of interest ‘if the price is right’.
Leandro Trossard has proved to be worth every penny since signing from Brighton in January 2023 for just £27m. That said, he’s never quite been spectacular enough to truly make the left-wing position his own, sharing duties with Martinelli.
Now 31, it appears as though Arteta may be willing to cash in on the Belgian. If this is the case, the report names Aston Villa’s £80m-rated Morgan Rogers as an ‘admired’ option to bolster the attack. The Englishman plays more centrally at times for Villa, but has spent plenty of time on the wing across his career.
Gabriel Jesus
Finally, Gabriel Jesus looks set to leave. Although the report suggests he’d be willing to stay around and gain British citizenship, Arsenal have said the 29-year-old can leave if they offer over £18m. The Brazilian was electric when he first arrived, but a bad knee injury during the 2022 World Cup has derailed his career in north London.
The dream replacement is said to be Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. His preference is Barcelona but the Gunners may have a chance if they are willing to pay the £120m price tag, especially as Atletico don’t seem keen to sell to their La Liga rivals.
Harry Redknapp has named four England stars that he believes should have made the World Cup squad after Thomas Tuchel left out a series of big-name players.
Tuchel has been tasked with leading England’s charge at this summer’s World Cup, with the Three Lions among the favourites to go all the way in North America.
England have two friendlies ahead of kicking off their World Cup venture, with games against New Zealand and Costa Rica slated. They take on New Zealand on Saturday before facing Costa Rica on June 11.
Tuchel’s 26-man squad will be on display before they meet old rivals Croatia in their Group L clash on June 17.
The German boss got fans and critics alike talking about his squad selection, with many high-profile players left out, including a couple of attacking stars.
Four England Players Harry Redknapp Would Have Taken to World Cup
Redknapp, who was linked with the England job in 2012, has shared his thoughts on Tuchel’s World Cup squad. He called the ex-Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss a “great manager”, but would have liked to have seen Cole Palmer and Phil Foden on the plane to the United States.
He also name-dropped Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen, who were snubbed of a spot in Tuchel’s World Cup party.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp said: “He certainly knows what he’s doing, that’s for sure.
“He’s a great manager and I think we’ve got the players. There’s one or two that didn’t go. We’ve all got opinions, but at the end of the day, the manager’s opinion is the one that counts. I’d like to have seen. I’m a big Cole Palmer fan, Phil Foden fan, Harry Maguire… Bowen.”
‘Palmer, Foden, Maguire and Bowen Would All Feel Quite Hard Done by’
Redknapp believes Palmer, Foden, Maguire and Bowen can all feel quite hard done by for not making the World Cup squad and hopes England can bring it home this summer for the first time since 1966.
“You can’t take everybody, but certainly them four would all feel quite hard done by not making it. Hopefully he’s picked the right squad and hopefully he picks the right team and we can bring it home,” the 79-year-old added.
“London would be buzzing, wouldn’t it, again. It would be like 66 the last time we won it. Them scenes in London were incredible that night, so we want to have that again.”
Palmer, Foden, Maguire and Bowen weren’t the only players to miss out on Tuchel’s squad as Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton also failed to make the England team.
