Liverpool's Radical Summer: Iraola's New Era Begins

Liverpool are bracing for one of the most radical summers in their modern history – and the first big calls are already taking shape.

Andoni Iraola is expected to be confirmed as the new man in the Anfield dugout this week, replacing Arne Slot before he has even truly settled, and the recruitment machine around him is already whirring at full speed. The faces and voices that once defined the dressing room are going, or gone. The rebuild cannot wait.

Iraola’s Anfield era starts with upheaval

Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté have all departed, stripping Liverpool of three pillars of experience and personality in one hit. That is not a gentle evolution. It is a jolt.

Jeremy Jacquet will arrive on Merseyside this summer after a £60m deal for the centre-back was wrapped up in January, but that is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. At left-back, Milos Kerkez and Kostas Tsimikas are the leading options under consideration, a clear sign that no position is being taken for granted.

Up front, the situation is even more urgent. Salah’s exit has left a gaping hole on the right side of the attack. Hugo Ekitike’s ruptured Achilles, which is expected to keep him out until 2027, has stripped away another potential solution. The 2025-26 season is already casting a shadow, with Liverpool increasingly wary of leaning on the fitness of club-record signing Alexander Isak.

Depth is thin. Quality, thinner still. So the search has gone straight to the top shelf.

Diomande says yes – now Liverpool must pay

According to French journalist Santi Aouna, RB Leipzig’s explosive winger Yan Diomande has already given the green light to a move to Liverpool this summer, as well as to Paris Saint-Germain. The window does not officially open until June 15, but the groundwork is laid. The decision now rests with the clubs.

For Liverpool, Diomande is not just another name on a longlist. At 19, he is understood to be their number one target to step into the void left by Salah on that right flank. His first full season in the Bundesliga was a statement: 13 goals and 10 assists in 36 appearances for Leipzig, numbers that underline why he is being talked about as a future superstar rather than a promising prospect.

Leipzig know exactly what they have on their hands and are acting accordingly. One journalist has suggested they value Diomande at up to €120m (£104m), a fee that would force Liverpool and PSG into a straight, high-stakes shootout.

The player has cleared his side of the deal. He is ready. The question is whether Liverpool are prepared to push their chips into the middle for a teenager to front the Iraola era.

Liverpool step into United’s territory

While Liverpool weigh up a nine-figure swing for Diomande, they are also circling another major deal – this time on territory Manchester United thought they had marked out as their own.

West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes is expected to leave the London club after their relegation, and United have long been seen as favourites for his signature. The Portugal international wants no part of the Championship after emerging as one of West Ham’s standout performers in a grim Premier League campaign.

Two straight relegations – first with Southampton, now with West Ham – would normally stain a player’s reputation. Fernandes is the exception. At just 21, he has walked away from both seasons with credit, widely viewed as arguably the best player in each side despite the collective collapse around him.

United’s pitch is obvious: the chance to link up with Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford and anchor a midfield being rebuilt for Champions League football. Yet, as TEAMtalk report, Liverpool have quietly moved into the frame and are now being described as “ones to watch” in what is shaping up to be a fierce battle for his signature.

West Ham want £80m. Interested clubs are expected to open closer to £60m. Arsenal and PSG have also made contact, but it is the prospect of Liverpool muscling in on United’s plans that adds real edge to this chase.

A crossroads summer

So this is where Liverpool stand: a new manager incoming, a spine ripped out, and two marquee targets who would both demand serious money and serious faith.

Diomande as the heir to Salah. Fernandes as the midfield engine wrestled from under United’s nose.

If Liverpool land even one of them, Iraola’s first season takes on a very different shape. If they land both, this stops being a rebuild and starts to look like a full-scale reset of the Premier League’s balance of power.