Liverpool's next transfer priority after Victor Munoz signing starts busy summer

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The ECHO's Liverpool writers assess what areas of the pitch Andoni Iraola and Richard Hughes should target in the transfer window Liverpool FC correspondent, Mark Jones Liverpool Content Editor - Sport and Richard Garnett Central Audience Sport Content Editor05:00, 22 Jun 2026Liverpool are officially open for business this summer transfer window after signing Victor Munoz last week.The Spain international becomes the first addition of the Andoni Iraola era at Anfield after his move was sealed from Osasuna.Real Madrid will take 50% of the £34.5m fee the Reds have paid to land Munoz, whose medical was undertaken in Chattanooga, Tennessee where Spain are currently based for the World Cup.But where should Liverpool be looking to recruit for next?The ECHO's Liverpool writers assess the areas for attention as Iraola and sporting director Richard Hughes continue their squad building efforts.Paul GorstIf some supporters had become concerned that £34.5m Victor Munoz was signed in lieu of Yan Diomande, they needn't have worried.Liverpool need more than one forward this summer to cover the shortfall of Mohamed Salah's exit and Hugo Ekitike's rupted Achilles and Diomande remains firmly in the firing line.Liverpool actually pivoted their thinking, recruitment-wise, when it became clear Ekitike was facing months on the sidelines and the relatively low-cost fee for Munoz, whose release clause at Osasuna was triggered last week, means the resources won't have been hit too hard by the capture of the 22-year-old Spain winger.Pace and power remains a priority in the wide areas and few are as exciting to watch right now as RB Leipzig's Diomande. There's a reason both Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain want the Ivory Coast international.Diomande is not exactly 'the Salah replacement' because there will never be another like the Egyptian but for a team that is now looking to evolve its play to service £125m Alexander Isak, Diomande could be a massive success story on Merseyside.A central midfielder is desired and the squad is crying out for a right-back who can operate centrally but it's in those wide areas where Liverpool need to spend big on elite quality.

It showed that while there will always be a headline Reds target - currently Yan Diomande - the club can also strike where you don't suspect them to, pulling off deals from under the noses of others.But while that work still needs to go on, it is becoming clear that plenty of attention is needed on the Diomande move.The winger is currently impressing on a global scale, and the Red Bull group are sure to be seeing Euros in front of their eyes every time he beats a man at the World Cup.They will hope that Paris Saint-Germain's interest persists and a bidding war can be fought, as it is only good news for them.The Reds need to stay focused on that deal, keep it as a priority and make sure it doesn't get out of hand, as Diomande looks every inch the player they need right now.Richard GarnettLiverpool have kick-started their summer transfer business with the arrival of Victor Munoz and judging by the team's output last season, Andoni Iraola will have plenty more signings to make to turn the Reds back into a winning machine.With one winger already in the bag, he must now deliver another and with talks ongoing between Liverpool and RB Leipzig for Yan Diomande, he could well be the next talented star through the door.So far, so good, but there is work to be done further back as well. Iraola will need two new full-backs for me - one on either flank - who can put the likes of Milos Kerkez and Conor Bradley (when he is fit again) under pressure.Jeremie Frimpong may get his chance during the Northern Irishman's prolonged absence, but I would rather see a specialist right-back brought in, who can tighten up an area of the pitch that Liverpool looked particularly vulnerable in last season.I would also like to see an experienced centre-back brought in to help support the development of Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni.

Game time shouldn't be a problem, especially if an old head can afford Virgil van Dijk a rest in some matches.Finally, I've long been of the opinion that the Reds need an enforcer in midfield, who can break up play and then give the ball to more talented attacking teammates.That might lead to the exits of one or two big-name stars, but after last season, I will lose little sleep over that predicament.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page