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29 Jun 2026 23:04:57
We will rotate a lot next season. I wouldn’t get too hung up on who starts where or when. We need about 8-10 forwards/attackers to rotate for the 4 positions Iraola typically plays with; CF, LM, AM, RM.
We currently have Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Munoz, Gakpo, Chiesa, Frimpong, Elliott, Koumas, Danns, Rio, Morrison and Wright. We’re not short on numbers but I think a lot of those players will leave and some lack ability or availability. 14 players for 4 positions is where we’re at right now though, so some thinning out is required.
Isak - can play CF, injury prone.
Ekitike - can play AM or CF, badly injured.
Wirtz - can play LM or AM.
Szoboszlai - can play AM or RM.
Munoz - can play LM or CF.
Gakpo - can play LM or CF.
Chiesa - can play all 4 positions, injury prone.
Frimpong - can cover RM.
Elliott - can play AM or RM.
Koumas - can play all 4 positions.
Danns - can play CF, injury prone.
Rio - can play LM or RM.
Morrison - can play AM or RM.
Wright - can play CF.
I personally think we’ll end with something along the lines of Isak, Barcola, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Munoz, Ekitike, Elliott, Rio, Frimpong and Morrison.
10 players to rotate for 4 positions. There will be a lot of strain on the attacking department to press hard so they will all need to be managed across the 4 competitions. 10 players is even more necessary as Ekitike probably won’t be starting any games until at least January/February in my opinion, and Isak has to be carefully managed.
Wright needs another year with the U21’s in my view. Gakpo, Koumas, Chiesa and Danns will probably leave (sale/loan).
Barcola, Isak, Wirtz and Szoboszlai I’d see as the 4 main starters but as I said at the top, the likes of Rio, Elliott, Munoz, Frimpong and Morrison will be getting plenty of minutes in my opinion to keep legs fresh (Ekitike also when he eventually returns). We do have to ensure a pathway for the likes of Rio, Morrison and Munoz though. They might not be ready to start every week, but they’ll never progress if we bury them down the pecking order. Elliott and Frimpong I just see as good squad options who are positive influences on the dressing room.
2
29 Jun 2026 23:27:38 Barcola plays for PSG. Hopefully he stays there.
4
30 Jun 2026 01:40:56 Couldn't have said it better. We don't need a Barcola or 100m winger at all.
We need a midfielder. We have Macca, Gravy and Jones only, with a few kids. Jones might go, and hence we need a destroyer that can free Gravy.
29 Jun 2026 22:44:16
I know YouTube highlights aren't the be all and end all.
But have a look at this reel for Barcola. The guy is 2nd fiddle to Kvara and Doue which isn't a big slight.
I like that he looks rapid, goes outside and inside when attacking which is a big frustration with other wingers we have. His finishes looks very classy and composed.
3
29 Jun 2026 23:20:48 He's going to be world class. Reminds me a lot of Salah before we signed him. Very raw but bags of potential. Salah was let go by Chelsea and became a superstar for us. I think Barcola can have that same trajectory. We do well with players like that. Coutinho (Inter), Sturridge (Chelsea), Salah (Chelsea), Fabinho (Madrid), Gravenberch (Bayern) etc. We give talented players who are let go by Europe's Elite the chance they deserve and make them into the superstars they were always supposed to be!
2
29 Jun 2026 23:30:28 I love the fact that he can beat a defender by out pacing them to a ball over the top, or he can beat a defender from a stationary start by using clever angles and acceleration, and he can beat a defender with his back to goal with his first touch. He can go past them on the outside or on the inside.
He's difficult to defend against.
3
29 Jun 2026 23:31:44 He wouldn't get that room in the PL with all the tams parking the bus. Big difference in a farmers league.
1
29 Jun 2026 23:36:53 Fabinho was signed from Monaco, but get the point. Although none of those mentioned can really be compared in terms of a transfer fee when Barcola would likely cost at least 80 million.
0
29 Jun 2026 23:49:52 Runcorn, Salah also came from Roma. I was listing the elite clubs that let them go, not the clubs we signed them from directly.
1
30 Jun 2026 01:31:36 Ah, idolising players before they say no to us. Never change. Barcola won't be joining us.
29 Jun 2026 21:07:35
What’s everyone’s thoughts on having Barcola on left wing as we know that’s where he wants to play predominantly & then moving Rio out to the right as I thought he played well there when playing for England?
2
29 Jun 2026 21:19:20
I can't see why not. I got. It's more ideal to have a true right winger, but the second best option is guys who can interchange on the left and right.
1
29 Jun 2026 21:30:42
Rio's not ready to be our go to starter, he's just a kid, still developing and still has massive holes in his game. We need a senior RW.
12
29 Jun 2026 21:35:41
Agree with Chewy.
Rio needs to be managed carefully.
He cannot be a starter...yet.
10
29 Jun 2026 21:41:00
I agree with Chewysaurez. Rio, for me, will get plenty of starts, but he is not first choice in my eyes. He has lots to learn and a big development curve. I think he is equally effective on the right or left.
I am interested to see Munoz and how versatile he is.
In my head he is a mix of Bellamy and Jota... If so, I see him playing all across the front 3. Gakpo lw/cf, Rio lw/rw.
Then a Barcola or someone rw/lw... If Elliot stays, he can cover lw/10.
1
29 Jun 2026 21:46:12
Barcola, no thanks. Not good enough.
3
29 Jun 2026 22:03:33
Definitely better than anything we have and anyone else currently available for sale.
Iraola will make him even better too.
5
29 Jun 2026 22:10:39
If Rio's team were speaking to Bayern, it suggests there's some unrest there. I'm not suggesting we should play him because of that, I agree he looks raw, but I suspect to keep him he's going to look for guarantees around game time.
0
29 Jun 2026 22:18:59
If Rio goes to Bayern it's because everyone who goes there looks ten times better, as the league is 20 times easier.
1
29 Jun 2026 22:25:33
Barcola not good enough? Ridiculous statement that.
5
29 Jun 2026 23:25:41 Isak, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, and Barcola are some front 4. Wirtz, Dom, and Barcola can all pretty much rotate and interchange behind Isak, with the big man poaching in the box. Football hasn't been about fixed rigid positions for a long time. That's a world class front 4. Diomande may well have been the preferred choice, but Barcola is a pretty excellent fall back option.
2
29 Jun 2026 23:33:23 What's ridiculous about it? It's the truth.
29 Jun 2026 20:19:54
Would Diomande ending up at PSG be as big a miss from the ITKs as Alonso not coming?
My answer? I don't care lol
Whatever happens, happens. ed2 would always say that he couldn't provide blow by blow updates of any transfer negotiation.
And honestly - how could he? Unless he was in the room of all these negotiations.
And honestly, if he were in the room and was sharing that info I'd be thinking a lot more worse of him and his lack of integrity for sharing that first hand knowledge with us.
End of the day, whether it's Carra, Robbo et al or Romano - they are sharing 2nd, 3rd, maybe 4th hand information.
If I were an ITK I would be really clear so as to provide an update on what I've been told and perhaps not put my neck on the line and make a prediction. But each to their own.
it's good we have the ITKs, they help make the site what it is. And as much as I hate it, I suppose fans fawning over every bit of transfer news and then embarking on a WW3 when things don't go their way is what makes this site what it is too.
6
29 Jun 2026 20:33:03
Well, that's everybody told, Faith.
6
29 Jun 2026 20:49:04
Wtf even is this post?
Nobody gives a rats what you'd do if you were ITK.
Weird.
9
29 Jun 2026 20:52:36
If he doesn't want Liverpool, then I don't want him. It's as simple as that. Can you imagine a 19 year old kid with all the money in the world, and doesn't even want to be at your club? No thanks.
9
29 Jun 2026 21:25:04
"Love is like taking a Dump. Sometimes it works itself out. Sometimes you gotta give it a good hard slimy push" - Eric Cartman.
4
29 Jun 2026 21:29:52
Faith is a huge kind of weird. "Shouting at bins" level.
5
29 Jun 2026 21:42:13
the situation is clear that the info the ITK have shared has been correct at the time of sharing.
5
29 Jun 2026 21:44:53
@Longthing, Diomande isn't negotiating his contract. A bunch of parasites are 'representing his interests' under the guise of being his agent. Based on what he wrote about / to his sister, I think he will be a credit to himself wherever he goes.
2
29 Jun 2026 22:07:25
Sometimes I go to say things on certain subjects, like Faiths non post, but Chewy answered perfectly haha.
1
29 Jun 2026 22:27:11
And the responses go on to prove part of my point - that there is irrational levels of emotion on here whether it's to an ITK or a non-ITK like me just sharing a thought.
The funny thing is, I am advocating for the ITKs lol that obviously went over some heads here.
There has been a strong campaign of support for the ITKs and I'm on that wagon.
29 Jun 2026 20:10:36
If you have been a knob and called out the ITKs on this site today you should look in the mirror and reflect on what you see. Its because of people like you we have lost a few past ITK like macca, akira and there was one more guy and of course dearest ED002.
Most of the guys share what they know for free on here.
They are not being paid by this website to be right. Also i am the original knobhead of this site so consider this a declaration of independence against all bellends from this website and banishment from Liverpool rumours (barring me of course). As eminem said - It will be too empty without me.
8
29 Jun 2026 22:06:20
That's the best and most self aware post you've done in 20 years, Harry.
29 Jun 2026 19:54:37
You can't miss out on Diomonde to the same club offloading a player on the fringes. Fair enough, lose a target. Do not pay a fortune on Barcola who truly isn't good enough for "iriolas football" to then fund the player you missed out on.
Move on and look at alternatives. I'm sure the scouts have been doing their jobs all season?
Barcola is like Gordon. I'll be delighted if we "miss out".
6
29 Jun 2026 20:10:30
Personally, and you can check my past posts if you think I'm just being bitter, I've always said Barcola is the better player currently.
Diomande could well have the higher ceiling, that's a lot harder to call. However right now, Barcola is far more refined.
His dinked finish the other week was composure and class beyond his years. Easy to forget he's only 23 himself. I think, because Diomande is 19, maybe people are forgetting that Barcola is still improving himself.
9
29 Jun 2026 20:30:40
I've not seen anything in Diomande that justifies the amount we were willing to pay for him. Anytime I've watched him, I got Doku vibes. By all accounts, he is generational talent, and that may be the case, but the fees being thrown about should get you pretty close to the finished article and not potential.
Agree, at this stage, Barcola is far further along in his development and is still raw and inconsistent. I'd be amazed if PSG sold him to us.
3
29 Jun 2026 21:43:59
Ron Funk, Liverpool has held long standing interest in Barcola. I do think he is good enough and more proven than Diomande. Though I would say his ceiling is lower. He would be an upgrade to what we have at the moment.
1
29 Jun 2026 21:55:31
I've always liked both players.
Where Barcola has a slight advantage is that, like Salah, he's almost been rejected at PSG (Salah = Chelsea). He'll have a point to prove. Iraola will help him reach his potential. I wonder if Diomande is less of an 'Iraola player'.
1
29 Jun 2026 22:09:23
I think Barcola n Diamande are bothe overhyped and overpriced. Get Bowen in and look for a good cheaper alternative.
1
29 Jun 2026 22:34:59
Remember when we were linked with Ousmane Dembele? We had all the same comments about how he's not good enough, is inconsistent etc etc. Then he went to PSG and was average and everyone said they were right.
Along came Enrique, gave him a rocket and played him in a system that suits him and he couldn't stop scoring and won the Ballon d'Or.
My point is, any player can look average and inconsistent in the wrong system but if you have the right manager who knows how to use them they can excel.
Barcola can definitely be that if used correctly, he certainly has the talent. I haven't seen enough of Diomande to really comment but I'd imagine he'd be the same.
29 Jun 2026 18:55:46
Genuine question.
We are told that Rayan has a buy out clause for Jan, but is there anything stopping us from putting a bid in now. Obviously Bournemouth can say no, but is there any other reason why we can’t bid now?
1
29 Jun 2026 19:30:59
According to Capology, he has a current £87m buyout. We could offer the same money as Diomande of £87m. See what they say.
2
29 Jun 2026 19:37:55
I don't see the money as important as others. Replacing Mo Salah was never going to be cheap, we've bought about 5 players trying to replace Sadio Mane and still haven't succeeded. Mo was even better. 😂
5
29 Jun 2026 19:49:31
Liverpool have the ability to put in a bid for literally any player in world football. Anyone you see on TV.
Usually, though, they want to get the player at a price they are willing to pay.
1
29 Jun 2026 20:21:08
LpoolFC8 - Mo's Lpool record is irreplaceable...probs for decades tbh! Mane also irreplaceable along with Bobby...be a long time before we can replicate such a special front three...along with the master conducter of such beauty that was Klopp. ⚽️✌
0
29 Jun 2026 21:28:02
I agree, Laddie. Couldn't agree more, mate.
But if the club identifies a player to replace the great man, they've gotta go all in, coz what's the alternative. 🤷🏻♂️
29 Jun 2026 18:19:28
Moved on, Diomande was way too costly for me anyways.
Rayan is the next best option followed by Akilouche (won’t happen either as he is also set on PSG).
Look forward to the midfielder signing next, Sadiki is the one for me.
3
29 Jun 2026 18:28:31
Rayan is going to be cheaper than Diomande?
0
29 Jun 2026 18:29:21
Rayan isn't happening either; his buyout is £130m.
1
29 Jun 2026 18:42:24
Buyout doesn't come into effect until Jan. Test their resolve. They paid £25m, they could triple that for 6 months and five goals. Offer them £75/80m. Still a big risk for a kid though. Unfortunately the Rw market isn't exactly saturated ATM.
1
29 Jun 2026 18:46:22
@Suarez,
If LFC were prepared to pay a bigger transfer fee and "terms" for Diamonde, why would LFC now baulk at paying a reduced fee for a potential very good replacement also?
1
29 Jun 2026 19:03:30
Chewy,
Doesn't mean we would be paying £130m though, does it.
He only turned us down last summer as he thought he would be behind Salah for two full seasons and it would hinder his development.
I think he will join the Reds.
0
29 Jun 2026 19:31:54
Hughes, he joined in January 2026.
0
29 Jun 2026 19:36:49
Meijer, correct, but Bournemouth have insisted he won't be sold (not that that means much until you start testing the waters). Yes, you could test their resolve, but hanging on to him for just 6 months could see them 5x their investment. I agree, now's the time to make a move if it's going to happen.
Shughes55, pretty sure if we want/have to activate the buyout, then yes we will absolutely pay £130m.
I think that's how it works, mate. But yeah, I get you, maybe Bornmouth would be happy to negotiate a deal, then sure we'll pay less, but the buyout figure is still leverage to negotiate an extremely high price, with a £130m buyout they'll still want £110+. Mad money for a player who's scored a goal a month since his arrival. If we can get him now, well and good. Hopefully we hear something in the next couple of days.
0
29 Jun 2026 20:50:35
Buy bowen and Ed Mala.
Barcola only if Gapko leaves.
1
29 Jun 2026 22:27:51
If we bid for Rayan and he may end up forcing the move, I don't think that would sit right with Iraola.
0
29 Jun 2026 23:11:46
Is Olise off the radar? Do any of the ITK know anything about LFC interest?
29 Jun 2026 17:11:19
Are we not interested in Charles De Ketelaere? Nicolas Soule?
2
29 Jun 2026 17:52:32
I could name another 1,000+ players that we're not interested in, but what would be the point?
5
29 Jun 2026 18:03:40
Go on, Zed, you won't.
8
29 Jun 2026 18:23:04
Charles De Ketelaere? Nicolas Soule? Are you being serious, as they are nowhere near the level of any of the Prem top 6.
0
29 Jun 2026 18:28:53
I'm happy to help out Zed. We are not interested in Ademola Lookman, Ernest Muamah, Christian Pulisic, Bob Euker, and Billy the Fish. 5 down, 995+ to go!
We are, however, interested in 3 clones of Darwin Nunez.
2
29 Jun 2026 18:42:15
Danny Andrew
Rhys Bennett
Finley Potter
Will Johnson
Shaun Rooney
Denver Hume
Kayden Hughes
Conor Haughey
Toby Mullarkey
Elliot Bonds
Mark Helm.
Not a sniff of interest. So kin frustrating.
3
29 Jun 2026 18:59:57
Double dare you, Zed!
1
29 Jun 2026 19:51:47
Rome, you sound like a Fleetwood fan mate with all those names... Speaking as someone from Fleetwood myself. 😂
1
29 Jun 2026 20:09:42
Paul H, hats off to you, mate! Always had a soft spot for Fleetwood, having holidayed in Bispham, twice a year, for many years as a kid.