Andoni Iraola opens door for two Liverpool midfielders to make mark after summer statements

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Liverpool's pre-season period is expected to begin in two weeks' time.And while most of Andoni Iraola's big guns will be away either still at the World Cup or enjoying their summer holidays having been eliminated, there are still plenty who will report for duty at the AXA Training Centre looking to catch the eye.The Reds jet to the United States on July 20 for a tour of Nashville, New York and Chicago but before those pre-season friendlies with Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United, Iraola - who has said that every player is like a 'new signing' to him - will get some previous time on the training pitches with his new squad.So just who will be looking to impress most? The ECHO's Liverpool writers, Paul Gorst and Mark Jones, have each picked a player for whom the next few weeks are critically important.Paul GorstHaving spent the majority of his summer working on his shooting with personal coach Scott Chickelday, it's clear Harvey Elliott is planning to hit the ground running at Liverpool.The midfielder, who endured a season on the fringes while on loan at Aston Villa, spent some of his time off in Ibiza with DJ Sonny Fodera.

But he has been putting in the hard yards for most of this month, working to an individually-tailored training plan with former Queens Park Rangers man Chickelday.It was clear under Arne Slot that Elliott's game time would not be as frequent as it was under Jurgen Klopp but the prospect of a dugout change opens the door for the 23-year-old to stake a serious claim once more.The writing was on the wall for Elliott while Slot remained in charge but the change of direction could be critical in this situation.While it'd be tough to label someone whose next competitive Liverpool appearance will be his 150th as 'a new signing', there is still a school of thought that Elliott can revitalise his career on Merseyside under a new head coach, with a fresh way of doing things.Whether it be as a forward option on the right side of the attack or as a deputy for Florian Wirtz in the No.10 role in Iraola's likely formation of 4-2-3-1, Elliott can still have a considerable part to play for the Reds.It quickly became apparent that his £35m move to Villa would never be triggered once sporting director Monchi left and the loan club grew weary of their PSR situation. However, one thing that was consistently communicated by those in Birmingham was that Elliott's attitude or willingness to work never wavered.It's that mentality that will be key to resuming his time with Liverpool after two seasons without much Premier League football.

Elliott shone last June for England's Under-21s side as they retained their European Championship crown and at 23, he remains a player with vast potential.Elliott will be desperate to show Iraola that can finally be realised at the club he loves more than any other.Mark JonesIf there is one thing that the current state of the transfer market can teach us it is just how quickly things can change in football.When Elliot Anderson was leaving Newcastle United for Nottingham Forest two years ago there were many who winced at the £35m fee, but now as he closes in on joining Manchester City you can almost put a one before that number.Ditto Adam Wharton, who arrived at Crystal Palace from Blackburn in an unheralded transfer of an initial £18m two-and-a-half years ago yet is now seemingly worth five times that.While not even a year has passed since Yan Diomande joined RB Leipzig from Leganes for £17m. Now it seems Leipzig can name their price.All of which goes to show that you can rise very high, very quickly if you have the right tools at your disposal, and Trey Nyoni certainly has those.The midfielder, who turns 19 on Tuesday, has made 20 appearances for the Liverpool first-team so far, and while his development has been somewhat overshadowed by the rapid emergence of Rio Ngumoha, it was clear that Nyoni had become a trusted member of Arne Slot's squad towards the end of the Dutchman's reign.With the arrival of Andoni Iraola seeing a new approach in midfield, Nyoni will be desperate to impress the new boss and perhaps show that money doesn't need to be spent on a high-profile, expensive addition in the centre of the pitch in the next few weeks.The teenager was filmed putting in the hard yards as he trained while on a break in Morocco earlier this month, and while many have felt that a loan could well be in his future, Iraola has proven time and again that he is happy to put his faith in youth.Nyoni looks as though he can be nurtured into a special player, and the Reds might be better off keeping him around.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!