Liverpool US tour diary - Andoni Iraola discusses £241m duo as Bradley Barcola move hits complication

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Sunday was a productive day for the returning trio of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch at Liverpool training.The three players all reported for duty at various points over the weekend and participated in their first session of the pre-season schedule at Chicago Fire's Endeavour Performance Centre, following their exertions at the World Cup.Wirtz was waiting for his colleagues at the team's hotel in downtown Chicago when they returned from Saturday's 4-2 friendly win over Sunderland in Nashville, greeting many of his delighted colleagues who were pleased to see him back in the fold.It's a huge season ahead of Wirtz, who didn't justify his enormous £116m price tag during his maiden season at Anfield.There were flashes of brilliance at times and many of the issues were not of his own making but much more is expected from the Germany international once he gets to grips with what is now being demanded from Andoni Iraola in a system that is generally being viewed as more intense and aggressive out of possession.If Wirtz struggled to live up to the hype, the same can certainly be said of Isak too, whose £125m switch from Newcastle United last summer has so far seen the Sweden international reach nowhere near the heights that made him the most expensive footballer in British history.The difficulties of both players, who cost £241m combined, have been well documented. However, it's a new era at Anfield, with a different coach, some fresh ideas and hopefully fewer injury and fitness concerns for the pair.If Iraola is to succeed on Merseyside, both Isak and Wirtz must deliver, and Iraola is ready to shape the pair into what he wants."Yes I am excited [to work with them] and I also feel you are talking about Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz as two players who have already been here for one year and the first impressions when I have talked to them is also that they want to have a good season," Iraola told the Anfield Wrap in an interview published on Monday."They want to start well, they were asking a lot of the right questions.

They are good players and I am looking forward to working with them."I've watched them from the outside a lot. I know them a lot, especially Alex, I played against him in Spain also a lot and I am sure they are very good players and I hope we can give them the platform to maximise their potential."It is not just Wirtz and Isak who will be responsible for the creative and goalscoring output, however, and Liverpool are continuing to work behind the scenes on a potential deal for Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola.Having moved on from interest in RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande earlier this summer, France international Barcola has been the No.1 target for a club seeking reinforcements in wide areas.Iraola has admitted in two separate press conferences that a wide player is the priority and Barcola is top of the shortlist.PSG, however, are reluctant to sell and have been trying to tie down the attacker to a new deal for the best part of the last 12 months.

A reluctant sale had thought to be have been nearing as they closed in on Diomande from Leipzig but the Ivory Coast international is now on the cusp of a move to Real Madrid.That complicates matters for Liverpool given PSG will likely be even more reluctant to enter into talks over the 23-year-old. While Arsenal had also been named as an interested party, claims of a move for Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior have cooled the Barcola links in North London.The search for a high-end winger has developed into something of a merry-go-round and less than a month before the Premier League season gets underway, Liverpool are still looking to fill the Mohamed Salah-shaped hole in their squad.That, of course, is not exactly Iraola's remit and sporting director Richard Hughes, who was in Nashville on Saturday for the game, has as much work to do around the negotiating table as the head coach does on the pitch.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!