It's no secret that Liverpool are light defensively at the moment.
During the 4-2 victory over Sunderland in the Reds' first pre-season game, Joe Gomez was forced off injured with a muscle injury. Unfortunately an all too familiar sight.
As a result, Iraola has been forced to rely upon some of the younger members of the squad, like Mor Talla Ndiaye, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, and Luke Chambers.
It has since been declared that Gomez will miss the start of the season. This leaves the Reds quite desperate for defensive options right before the season starts.
At the moment, the first team options in defence are:
- Right-backs: Jeremy Frimpong, Calvin Ramsay, Conor Bradley (injured), Gomez (injured)
- Centre-backs: Virgil van Dijk, Gomez (injured), Jérémy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni (returning from ACL injury)
- Left-backs: Miloš Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas
Jacquet himself is still touch and go, missing the first two pre-season games of the US tour after the club decided they weren't going to take any further risks after his shoulder injury.
Last season Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones both filled in at right-back when needed, but they have both made it clear that it wasn't their favourite position to play.
Wataru Endō and Stefan Bajčetić both do have experience playing centre-back, and Ryan Gravenberch was deployed there at times during matches under Arne Slot when the Reds were chasing a goal, but again, these are not ideal.
So this leaves Liverpool in a bit of a pickle.
Bradley is expected to return during the season, but after a complicated injury it would be unwise to risk him before he is ready. Likewise with Leoni.
But, you can't sit and wait forever. Especially with how many games the Reds are likely to play during the season, rotation will not only be necessary, but vital.
An injury to another defender would spell catastrophe. This is where James Hill comes in.
Can Liverpool raid Bournemouth, again?
The club from Merseyside and the Cherries go way back.
Iraola this summer, Kerkez the last. Ben Gannon-Doak headed south, as well as Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith back in the day.
There's a connection between the two clubs, that's for sure.
Hill could be another who makes the 263 mile trip to Merseyside this summer.
Iraola knows him well, and clearly trusts him to be a key part of his defence, as Bournemouth's number 23 made 29 appearances last season.
Impressively, the 24-year-old made 11.16 defensive contributions per 90 and won 65.5% of his aerial duels during the 25/26 season.
The Basque head coach also trusted Hill at right-back, playing him there three times during the season which shows his flexibility and willingness to put himself where he is needed.
An up-Hill battle?
The Englishman hasn't had any concrete links to his former manager's new club, but with new Bournemouth manager Marco Rose calling him a "crucial player", it will be tough to negotiate a deal.
The fee of around £40 million has been floating around, which won't seem like much in this transfer market, but the Cherries are known to get good fees for their players - as we saw for Dean Huijsen (£50m - Real Madrid) and Illia Zabarnyi (£57m - PSG) last summer.
Hill has recently praised Rose and will be excited to play European football at the Vitality this season - a prospect that doesn't come around often, and means the allure of Champions League football may not be as strong.
The defender will also be aware of the reality that Bradley will eventually become Liverpool's starting right-back, and that Leoni and Jacquet are likely to become the Reds' next centre-back partnership.
Iraola would need to convince him regarding game time, but facing the reality that van Dijk is not getting younger (unfortunately), he could be the Dutchman's replacement.
Other options?
Today there have been reports from Italy that Liverpool have enquired about Fikayo Tomori, AC Milan's stalwart defender who has played at right-back, last had a muscle injury in 2023/24 and (most importantly) would count as home grown.
Jarell Quansah would also be ideal, having performed well at Bayer Leverkusen last year and featured at the World Cup. He would be expensive, and would be cheaper to sign next season, so it is unlikely he returns to Merseyside just yet.
Whoever the club go for, the profile is clear: experienced, versatile, and home grown. Easier said than done, however.
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