Liverpool Discussions

25 Jul 2026 22:48:27
Hi everyone,
First time posting.
Given Vini's movements away from RM, Diomande going to RM, Barcola (probably) staying at PSG, I believe that finishing the window with Rayan, Zabarnyi reinforcing the defence (I think he's a good player), maybe Wharton and one more versatile FW, would be acceptable.


The window is being quite challenging, on top of Liverpool and Hughes helping little towards next season's success.
And I continue to have high hopes that Bajcetic can have an impact again just like he did in his first season.

25 Jul 2026 21:46:04
At least one good piece of news has come from the Diomande saga.

Lfc not signing him.

I have to say I’m pleased. I don’t think he’s even in the top 10 left wingers in Europe so to pay all that money would have been crazy.

Thank you Madrid.

25 Jul 2026 22:00:39
Is he not a right winger? 😂

26 Jul 2026 00:01:32
He is mainly a right winger, yes.

25 Jul 2026 19:08:17
Vini Junior is the best player in the world when he wants to be.
Wonder what he'd be available for?

25 Jul 2026 19:38:41
Very high wangers and an altar to worship him.

25 Jul 2026 20:13:08
He's got a very high what, Clay?

25 Jul 2026 20:20:42
Oi Oi, we'll have none of that dirty talk around here, Clay!

25 Jul 2026 20:29:44
"Wangers."
That means lots of money thrown in his direction!
What did you think I meant, Gutter dwellers!
:-D

25 Jul 2026 21:34:31
He's not the best player in the world, at any time.

25 Jul 2026 15:09:43
I've accepted we aren't a serious club anymore, at least we're monitoring though right guys.

25 Jul 2026 17:06:59
Sounds like the biblical equivalent of rolling around in sack cloth and ashes. Woe is you!

25 Jul 2026 17:13:21
If we are going to get Biblical Clay, Iraola has been given 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and is expected to feed the 5000!

25 Jul 2026 18:21:35
In the same vein, Kingy, let's hope the club becomes Lazarus and is able, after years of paralysis, to "pick up thy bed and walk".
:-D

25 Jul 2026 18:54:24
Touche, Clay!

25 Jul 2026 19:17:39
Gosh Kingy, that was a "Road to Damascus moment!"
(Somebody stop me!)

25 Jul 2026 22:07:51
U guys, seriously need to chill. The window is open till end of August.

25 Jul 2026 14:25:48
Looking at the rumours of Diomande going to Madrid. I’m wondering if this is the first domino? Or would the first domino be a player getting sold by us? (Gakpo perhaps?) Carra, am I on the right track mate?

Either way, I agree with the people calling for 2-4 good signings rather than signing a brand new team.

There is still the spine of a league winning side.

25 Jul 2026 16:03:30
The summer of Domino's and smokescreens. 😂 Love it.

25 Jul 2026 20:25:17
Yes, Diomande is the first and most necessary domino to fall. Whether Gakpo decides to move on is pretty unrelated, really; he can choose to do that whenever he likes. We will still be waiting to see what happens with Diomande & Barcola as we are keen on securing at least one of them irrespective of Gakpo's decision.

I would expect things to heat up significantly over the next 10 days.

25 Jul 2026 12:05:40
Moving away from the winger talk, interested to hear people’s perspectives on midfield. In my opinion, it’s been glaringly obvious that we need a defensive midfielder since Fabinho left.

As good as Macca was in the first two years of his career with us, it’s difficult to know whether the injury he suffered at the end of 24/25 (in which he got surgery for - some say a hernia) means he is actually finished. Personally if a ~60m bid came in, I’m taking it and running.

As for the other options, Curtis has becoming a bit overrated I feel. Great squad player but not shown enough in high-intensity teams (Klopp) to show his body can handle it and not consistent enough for me to start.

Gravenberch is another hugely overrated player for me. Great 6 month period in 24/25 but aside from that he’s been hugely disappointing. He’s not a DM but I don’t really see where he fits tbh. That huge contract we gave him was a massive mistake. Then you have Endo (not good enough), Nyoni (too young) and Szobo, who I don’t trust in a double pivot.

I’m really concerned that if we don’t get a proper DM we will see the same issues we’ve seen last few years in midfield. Gaping holes, easily played through. We need someone with a bit of bite who can just sit and protect the backline. But, not sure who is out there who is attainable. Missing out on Caicedo was a huge mistake for me.

25 Jul 2026 13:40:33
Jones isn't a number 6 in a month of Sundays, poor concentration, doesn't read the game very well, no physicality and can't defend for toffee. Personally don't think Gravenberch fancies the position and sees himself as an 8. Endo is too old, Bajcetic is too fragile, and other than that the cupboard is bare.

Wharton certainly isn't the answer as he's not a defensive midfielder. Personally think we should have a look at Chema Andres at Stuttgart. Good footballer, strong as an ox, not the type to be physically dominated, has an air of a young Rodri about him, which is no bad thing, and won't break the bank.

25 Jul 2026 15:05:15
Looks a decent player him Victor. Only thing I'd say is he's not the quickest.

25 Jul 2026 15:52:04
I actually think Grav is a very good DM, but if he won't play the role then he needs to go. He's no Steven Gerrard. He lacks the quality to dictate where he plays! It looks like we're going to sign Wharton, so Grav is going to have to be a lot more disciplined next season.

If he won't do so, we'll continue to concede sloppy goals. I don't think Iraola is the sort of man you can dictate to though.

25 Jul 2026 16:24:15
The midfield is a disaster waiting to happen yet again. It reminds me a few years ago, 22/23, when even Klopp said we didn't need a midfielder and named out the players we had. Fabinho/Thiago/Henderson/Milner/Ox/Keita etc. It'll be the exact same with Mac/Endo/Szobo/Jones/Grav. If we try playing two of them together, we're in serious trouble, especially if it's with Wirtz as the 10.

25 Jul 2026 16:09:37
I agree on Grav, he was sensational in 24/25 but he's no Stevie.if he's not going to commit fully to his best position he can duck off.Genuine question MK why do you seem convinced we'll get Wharton.with no WC I would have thought if we were getting him he'd be here by now

25 Jul 2026 18:12:23
My main issue with the midfield is combining Grav with Wirtz, mainly because of what Grav does best. Grav does not pass, so he cannot play the deep-lying playmaker role (ala Rodri). Additionally, he lacks physicality, so he cannot be a destroyer. His best attribute is that he can hold the ball and face the pressure, for which he is excellent.

Therefore, Grav should play as one of a double six (without licensing to go up, despite what he likes), and have a destroyer at his side to patch his lack of physicality and a playmaker on the other side.

The issue we have is that we cannot play that way because we don't have the destroyer, and we have Wirtz whose best position is further on the pitch.

I could see why management wanted Wharton, but that hinges on the assumption that Grav could play better defensively, which I don't agree with.

25 Jul 2026 18:29:01
Florian, it just seems like the worst kept secret in football, mate. Wharton to Liverpool was the only transfer I came into the summer confident of. I believe it's only not done because Parish is a knob. I'm sure once Palace have a replacement they'll come to the table and we'll get the man we've wanted for many years now.

25 Jul 2026 20:44:51
After they won the league only to fall short due to the manager's tactics, I think everyone deserves a shot at redemption; anyone who wants to go can be replaced, anyone who doesn't up their game this year gets moved on next summer.

I think Grav deserves another shot, I'm not bothered about MacAllister, he was only ever decent for me, he had a few good moments the previous 2 seasons, but he goes missing all too often, and I have no time for the play acting. You want to win a free kick? Fine, go ahead, but don't be rolling around holding your face when you got hit on the shin.

If Iraola does well and the club is really serious about backing him and improving our depth to challenge on all fronts, I think Elliot and Jones will be moved on next summer, as much as I'd like to see them improve, I don't think they'll make that cut. Neither is anywhere near good enough to start, but being academy players, if we see the value in them purely as squad players they'll survive; if they think they're better than that, they'll have to go to lower level teams.



Yes, we're short a proper, physically dominant DM, but as I've said for a while now I don't see us signing one. Clearly the club is confident in Grav, we will find out this season if they're right. I can only see us moving for a proper DM if Grav's position changes or we move him on. He was tied down to a 280k pw contract in March, so that tells you exactly how the club feels about him. Let's see how he operates under Iraola.

Obviously, Endo will need replacing, but we have Nyoni coming through, maybe he will prove himself this year.

Where does Wirtz fit in? Again, it's a concerning question to have to ask for such a massive signing, 12 months later. Maybe in a midfield 3 where Grav is strictly DM and Dom plays a little more defensively to allow for Wirtz to roam in a hybrid 10 position? I don't know, but what I do know is he's not suited to the wing, certainly not in the Prem. Will be interesting to see how Iraola implements him. Maybe at LW on paper but drifting inside to a more left-central role? We will see.

25 Jul 2026 11:41:12
I have monitored this page for years and have enjoyed getting great information, from the Ed's and especially Ed02, Macca and then the current true ITK's Carra, Robbo, Fields, VG, Ned etc. But recently the amount of abuse they get I'm worried we will lose this insight, I'm also getting bored with new names appearing and posting in a way that suggest they are ITK. It's getting too much

Everyone should be free to post positive rumours and I wouldn't want to deter anyone from posting but please keep it real and let's be thankful that we have some real ITK's who are currently happy to share such great info.

Also thanks to Ed01 for putting up with so much nonsense.

YNWA

25 Jul 2026 11:34:31
Anyone else looking forward to seeing Bajcetic playing for us again. He was immense a couple of years ago, and hopefully with age and maturity, he can become a prominent part of our team again. He's quick, mobile and good range of passing. More to come from him I think and a possibility of him ousting macca's place. Maybe he'll look at Victor Munoz, a World Cup winning teenager and realise that with more application to training and focus and determination and more luck with injuries, that he could have been a WC winner by now too.

I think he oozes potential, class, and a combative style of midfielder that we need. I really want him to succeed with us this season and with a Spanish manager who seems to rate him, unlike Slot, then maybe Stefan could really be our midfield maestro this season.

{Ed025's Note - hmmmm..

25 Jul 2026 11:53:15
When are people gonna give this one up! Lol we've not seen him for years! He's got a bad attitude and always injured! Move on.

25 Jul 2026 13:41:08
Munoz is not a teenager.

25 Jul 2026 15:06:09
It's the hope that kills ye with that lad. 😂

25 Jul 2026 11:32:29
I know the media keep talking about Minteh

But would anyone be happy with Mitouma instead?

I think he's a really good player, if we want anyone from Brighton I'd go for him (40m)? or him and Baleba (if price isn't more than 60m).

25 Jul 2026 11:37:40
Mitoma, I think, is injury prone. We shooo up d be signing better quality than those too.