Iraola happy with signings as Barcola set for debut

What the report says

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said he is satisfied with the club’s summer transfer activity and expects the squad to improve through coaching, according to BBC Sport Football. He was speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League match against Ipswich Town on Friday, when new signing Bradley Barcola is set to be available for selection after training with his teammates this week.

The BBC reported that Liverpool made four major arrivals this summer, including Barcola in a £123m move from Paris St-Germain. Iraola said the club had chosen the players it believed would strengthen the team, while acknowledging that other targets were not pursued for sporting or financial reasons. He also said he was content with the squad’s overall quality and that it is now his job, along with the players, to develop it.

BBC Sport also noted that Liverpool did not add a right-back or another central midfielder, despite some outside questions over those areas. The club instead kept a relatively settled group in midfield, where Iraola said there are enough options to manage a busy run of fixtures.

Iraola added that he was pleased Liverpool kept Cody Gakpo after Manchester City had a reported £80m bid rejected. Gakpo has contributed one goal and one assist in Liverpool’s first two league matches, both draws. The broader context, as the BBC explained, is that Liverpool are still looking for their first league win under Iraola, making the result at Ipswich an early test of the new squad construction.