Liverpool Banter 2

22 Jul 2026 15:19:46
We've now enquired about Akliouche according to Sky.

22 Jul 2026 15:19:36
Reds,

Liverpool are testing the waters (PSG target) Maghnes Akliouche agent about a possible move.

Interesting to see if this is the RW we'll go for.

£40 million fee.

22 Jul 2026 15:16:51
According to Sky Sports Lyall: “Liverpool have made an initial approach to Monaco for Akliouche.”

The deal seemed pretty close to done with PSG, and he seemed to want to go to PSG, so wonder what our angle is here?

Just us hoping that there’s a chance he chooses us over them? Or is it wishful thinking that we’re trying to get PSG to hurry that deal up so we can move on Barcola?

Either way, not sure PSG will be too happy.

22 Jul 2026 15:46:36
Couldn't care less if PSG are happy or not. We are Liverpool FC and bow down to no team.
Sod them.

22 Jul 2026 18:44:10
Never seen him play. Anyone can provide some actual info on this kid? Preferably people who have actually watched him play a fair bit?

22 Jul 2026 15:14:19
On Sky Sports now, Liverpool has approached Monaco for France winner Akliouche.

22 Jul 2026 17:39:55
Is Winner his Christian name?

22 Jul 2026 18:44:35
What did he win?

22 Jul 2026 19:11:30
Chicken dinner.

22 Jul 2026 14:31:00
Judging by RobboLFC post my fear is that our insistence on signing Diomande and Barcola might hold us back. What happens if we cannot make either of those signings….. I hope Torres and Rayan are plan c and d.

I am not totally surprised midfield is not the priority. I think the balance needs to be addressed and we ideally will sell Macca for someone with more running ability and defensive nous, but it is a very coachable midfield.

The problem last season was the spaces between the midfield and attack or defensive as never right, and lack the of intensity in the press. These are things that can be coached.

22 Jul 2026 15:07:13
The midfield is the biggest problem n looks like it isn't a priority, just look at our midfielders, Macallister, Jones, Gravenberch are all who can be improved on. Slob is our only top class midfielder. Needs urgent attention, not some 100 mill wingers who might or mightn't be any good.

22 Jul 2026 15:29:17
The midfield is crap and hopefully we get rid of Macca, but if you get them moving the ball quicker instead of last season's snooze ball it will be like having a new player in there til Andoni decides what he wants/needs.

22 Jul 2026 15:38:56
Grav was pretty good wasnt he in the title winning season, just staying back? Maybe Ai would like to give that a shot again instead of wtvr the crap tweaking that was made on the same, title winning midfield the following season.

22 Jul 2026 15:50:50
Don't worry; our shortlist of potential targets is in fact a list.

22 Jul 2026 12:45:29
Robbo and Carra etc.
Is the club not prioritizing or seeking at least one top midfielder to go straight into that midfield?!
Sobs carrying grab and especially Macca.

22 Jul 2026 14:01:20
That midfield won the PL just over 12 months ago and then we signed Wirtz.

Whilst I would love another top quality DM and would happily upgrade Macca, I do think that last season's problems were primarily because of tactics and setup rather than the quality of the players.



A right winger has to be the priority as we needed one of them before we let Mo go.

22 Jul 2026 14:03:48
@Ron, you need to send an email to Hughes and A.I asking them what their plans are.

22 Jul 2026 14:04:25
Would love Guimaraes but looks like he's bound for Arsenal.

22 Jul 2026 14:22:47
I prefer Joelingtin.

22 Jul 2026 16:44:49
I think prioritising the forward line, which was gutted last window, is the right thing to do. We also really could do with moving on some players we don't want.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see Macca leave and a more defensive midfielder arrive. Would leave us with 4 senior options (Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones, +1) for the 2 positions, plus we have Nyoni and McConnell who we need to give minutes to.

I would be fine with that, but I think the club will prioritise that above forwards unless they receive a good offer for Macca.

On the forward front, I'm slightly underwhelmed by Akliouche, as I don't think he has what we're lacking. I could be wrong. I hope Iraola is being well consulted on what profiles he needs on the wings. If he wants Akliouche then I'm fully behind it.

22 Jul 2026 12:43:33
I sighed when I heard Iriola wants Macca to stay and stating we're light at cb/RB. We have Virg, Gomez, Leioni (Italian kid) and the newcomer Jaquet. I can understand a versatile cb/RB option but we do not need two players. Move Gomez on then if you're getting another cb. Ridiculous though he's a great guy having him and he's never available.


I thought our priority would be midfield. We've got ran through and were weak there. Macca was slow and appalling in the final. The same Liverpool Macca, slow on the ball, dithering then losing possession.
You can forget about competing for anything next season if we put the same midfield as last. We need two top midfielders.

22 Jul 2026 13:57:11
I think most of the issues from last season defensively were structural and I’m hoping Iraola will fix them by fixing our pressing.
The same midfield we had last season, we had the season before when we won the league.

22 Jul 2026 14:01:30
Crazy how a coach as good as Iraola is, he seems to be defending Macca and wanting to use him. Unless he's lying.

22 Jul 2026 14:02:44
Why would Iriola tell the press we want rid of Macca? Keeping his cards close to his chest. Pretty sure the club will be looking to move Macca on and bring in a more mobile talent.

22 Jul 2026 14:05:12
@Ron, It seems that your thought might have been at odds with what the club are thinking.

22 Jul 2026 14:05:49
Italian kid is coming back off a serious ACL tear and won't be available for the start of the season; he'll need his minutes managed on return, and we don't know how long it might take him to find form if everything does go well. Jacqut, too, is coming back from 4 months off with a shoulder injury, less concerning for sure, but still has to be taken into consideration. Gomez spends more time on the physio table than the pitch.

We could definitely do with a reliable senior CB.

Same goes for RB, both of which are coming back from missing half a season due to injury, Bradley, with serious knee damage, won't be available for the start of the season and Frimpng with repeat hamstring issues that are more than likely to flare up again. If we don't do something about it now we'll be looking for 2x new RB's next Summer.

22 Jul 2026 14:19:19
I thought Macca had a good World Cup, and was a good player pre Slot. I would give him until Jan before thinking of getting rid.

22 Jul 2026 14:42:29
Agree, apart from final, had a very good World Cup, and covered most ground. Had a bad year last year, as did most teams, think with tactical changes he improves massively next season.

22 Jul 2026 14:51:18
Macca was a victim of Slot messing the midfield up by allowing Grav to go further forward and leaving Macca isolated. We know he doesn't have great pace, and clearly wasn't 100% fit for part of the season, so even more reason not to make the changes that were made.

22 Jul 2026 15:01:47
Macca is so slow and immobile, even in the World Cup, he's just not suited to a dynamic style of play. Argentina were ponderous, hardly created any chances, and stifled the opposition with the dark arts and breaking the flow. That's not what we need, surely.

22 Jul 2026 15:13:48
We don't need 2? VVD is 35 and is declining. Leoni had a season out injured, and still is. JJ also had half a season out, new to the league, both inexperienced. Joe Gomes is almost always injured. Bradley is months away, and again another bad injury. We need 2 or 3 tbh.

22 Jul 2026 18:49:00
What do you want Doni to say? That Macca is crap and he will get shot of him even if he thinks so? Seriously, when has a manager ever said something like that to a player they don't even rate? People need to wake up and stop hanging on to every word a manager says.

At the end of the day, we will see what happens with Macca under Doni.

Doni may actually like him and have an idea how to use him. Or he may not rate him and would like to get rid but prolly feels he can't do that this season and will hence make do. Again, no one knows. We are gonna have to wait and see, as said above.

22 Jul 2026 20:14:11
"Iraola wants rid of Macca"
You're never going to see a headline like that.

22 Jul 2026 12:26:03
So Fabhino has been let go by his Saudi club.

Might just be that the Fabhino replacement we needed was Fabhino all along.

22 Jul 2026 14:01:36
Fabinho was knackered when we sold him. Not sure he'd be up for regular PL footie again. Unless we brought him back as a rotation option. But I imagine his wage demands would be a bit much for that.

22 Jul 2026 15:02:28
Fabinho was great when he could get about the pitch a bit. His legs had gone, that's why we sold him.

22 Jul 2026 15:24:51
If anyone watched the World Cup and Brazil, you can see Fabinho is toast.

22 Jul 2026 18:58:33
If Fab's legs were gone 3 years ago, why would they have suddenly come back stronger after he got let go by the Saudis?

22 Jul 2026 12:07:47
Statement from the AI in Chicago.
“You have to be always open to new options to improve the squad. There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players. A winger, for example – we definitely need to sign a winger.

“There are other situations that we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what’s the cost, how we also see the players we have.

We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust but is still not the ideal situation, so it will depend on a lot of things.”
Wonder is the second position a RB due to Conor's injury record or a forward with Eki out and Isak's injury record?

22 Jul 2026 14:10:36
I can see Gakpo filling in up top rather than splashing out for temporary cover players. AI hasn't hardly worked or seen the existing squad yet. I imagine any meaningful changes will happen in January or even next summer.

22 Jul 2026 18:59:21
I don't pay too much attention to what managers say for the most part. This is one of those parts.