Andoni Iraola refused to guarantee that Cody Gakpo will stay at Liverpool as he suggested he wants to follow the possible signing of Bradley Barcola with another winger, and would ideally strengthen in a further position as well.
Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle to sign France international Barcola for an initial fee of just over £100m, potentially rising to £120m.
They have also had two bids rejected for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh and expressed an interest in Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr.
Iraola was reluctant to discuss Barcola but said: “We are trying to sign in that position and we cannot talk about players that right now are not ours but it is evident we are trying to improve and fill or trying to fill that position because we don’t have the numbers. I hope we can have good news soon but we are still not there.”
Liverpool would only be able to allow Gakpo to leave if they were able to sign two wingers. The Dutchman has attracted interest from Tottenham and Manchester City but while he scored the first goal of Iraola’s reign, the Spaniard did not say he will stay.
“I cannot guarantee anything,” he added. “You think I can smell who we are going to sign or what position but experience shows you that, if there is an opportunity on the last day, let’s take it.
“I don’t know what is going to happen, we have to be patient – even myself – for another four or five days and then we will know. I will be comfortable on the 2nd of September when they tell me, ‘This is who we are, these are the options we have’ and then we can’t start thinking about players in the positions. Right now, we don’t know. I have in my head what I want, we have been talking since the beginning and they know also what we want, and then it is a matter of closing the deals.”
While wingers have been Liverpool’s main objective in the transfer market, Iraola indicated he would also want to bring in players in other part of the pitch as well, even if it not might be possible.
“That is the question mark,” he added. “Ideally is the magic word. At the end, there are certain things you can lose and we don’t know what we can do but it’s true the priority has been most in the wide areas. Still we have four or five days. I am sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don’t know how the market is going to finish.”
Iraola explained that he did not even name Harvey Elliott as a substitute for the 2-2 draw against Newcastle because he preferred the youngster James McConnell.
Elliott had an unsuccessful loan at Aston Villa last season and Iraola said: “I can choose only 20 [in the squad] and it is about finding the balance on the bench, Harvey is trying and is improving other week but still I prefer other options. I decided to put James McConnell in the squad but it is a new week, a new chance for everyone.”
