Deal agreed, Andoni Iraola promotes incredible Liverpool wonderkid
Andoni Iraola is expected to promote an incredible wonderkid at Liverpool.
The Spaniard really doesn't have an easy job. He's dealing with a squad that is undergoing a lot of change.
Key players and legends have left or are in the process of leaving.
Mo Salah and Andy Robertson both departed on a free. Curtis Jones is bound for Inter Milan and Cody Gakpo could yet leave to join Tottenham.
This is on top of inheriting a squad that is already imbalanced. Liverpool are facing a crisis on the wings, where Iraola doesn't have enough depth.
There's also uncertainty about how reliable Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike are going to be when they are going to return from their injuries.
On top of this, Iraola had to deal with a really small squad all summer long. His key players missed the majority of pre-season because they were competing at the World Cup.
Results suffered, especially in the second half when Iraola made a raft of changes to bring in fringe players.
In this environment it's hard to see that Iraola is being given all the tools to succeed.
If anything he is being set up to fail at this point. He's had absolutely no help from Richard Hughes and the club's recruitment department so far.
We are entering the final few days of the window and at this stage Liverpool have signed just TWO players. Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo.
For a team that has lost so many key stars, that is simply not good enough.
Sure, Jeremy Jacquet is also a new signing in the sense that he only arrived this summer, but a transfer for him was agreed in January.
Liverpool desperately need wingers. They desperately need to add pace on the flanks and replace Salah and potentially Gakpo as well.
Hughes seems to be working on that. But his mission so far has been a failure. He didn't sign the club's top target, who was Yan Diomande.
And right now he is not getting anywhere closer to landing Bradley Barcola. Meanwhile, talks are ongoing for Ibrahim Mbaye as well.
With Jones now bound for Inter, many Liverpool fans are also demanding Hughes to replace the scouser but that is looking unlikely.
Instead, the latest reports are claiming that Iraola could promote an exciting youngster in Jones' place.
This has always been the way of Liverpool. FSG invests a lot in the club's academy and recruitment at youth level so they expect that investment to pay off.
That's why last summer when Luiz Diaz left the club, the Reds promoted Rio Ngumoha in his place instead.
This time around the Liverpool ECHO are claiming that the plan is for Trey Nyoni to earn a promotion and take most of Jones' minutes if his move to Inter Milan is completed as he is expected to play a more 'prominent role' in the team.
And if you've watched most of pre-season, that's a plan you can't really disagree with. Nyoni has been in great form and has probably been the best performer for the entire summer.
He suits Iraola's style of play and at 19-years-old he is definitely ready for the next step in his career.
He's an incredible talent. Someone who has great technical skills, brilliant awareness and footballing IQ.
It's one decision you simply cannot disagree with.
