Liverpool must make clever transfer as Andoni Iraola left with no choice

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.

Andoni Iraola said it was the "worst possible news" that Joe Gomez went down with an injury against Sunderland, with Liverpool already looking light of numbers in defenseLiverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos via Getty Images)Joe Gomez going down with what appeared to be a muscular issue just seven minutes into the first Liverpool pre-season game of the summer was a far from ideal start.Andoni Iraola would go on to win his first match at the helm fairly convincingly, with plenty of positives to take, including the performances of Trey Nyoni and Kieran Morrison, and the assured showings from the young center-back duo of Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye.When asked about the Gomez injury post-match, however, Iraola looked pained as he described it as the "worst possible news." Though it wasn't a complete shock, and it remains to be seen how bad the injury actually is, it leaves Liverpool looking very light.Virgil van Dijk will train this week, but he won't be heading on the pre-season tour to the U.S..

He will instead remain on Merseyside.Giovanni Leoni, the teenager, is still working his way back to full match sharpness following an ACL injury, while new signing Jeremy Jacquet missed the Sunderland game because of a minor issue that is being carefully managed.With Conor Bradley still months away from a return and Iraola having spoken last week about lacking depth in certain areas of the field, it all feels a bit precarious.Joe Gomez was forced off just 10 minutes into Liverpool's opening pre-season friendly(Image: Getty Images)Quite simply, as much as the first Liverpool priority has to be adding depth in attack, signing someone who can play a bit of center-back and a bit of right-back feels like a pretty close second.Eventually, Leoni and Jacquet will be fully fit. But in the short-term — probably the coming season as a whole, given Gomez's tendency to pick up injuries — Liverpool cannot afford to leave itself light.If there is no perfect option out there on the market, then the Reds might have to go with something away from the usual model, but would be avoiding the need to sacrifice a crucial period on the pitch in the process.Should it wish to, there are creative solutions out there, too.

Learn moreLiverpool FC have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27, inspired by iconic adidas strip worn during the club's 1989/90 title-winning campaign.Not shy of an injury himself, that would come with some risks attached — and there is no guarantee that the England ace would want to join a club that viewed him only as a stop-gap — but there is a lot of sense to it.Someone like Ben White, who has been tipped for an Arsenal exit in some quarters, who can operate in multiple roles and provide cover in two areas, is another name who would not be needed in the long run — but might work for now.If Iraola is to be a success at Liverpool, he will need the players to do it. If not, Liverpool will have to find a clever alternative.