When Andoni Iraola revealed Liverpool were hard at work bringing in new recruits for the upcoming campaign, defensive reinforcements immediately topped most fans wishlists.
However, according to Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam, the Reds have no intention of signing a defender in the coming weeks, despite their growing depth issues.
"No is the answer we are being told. My understanding is that Liverpool will not go into the market to sign a player for the next four to six weeks. They're just going to have to ride through the storm and then wait for their players to come back."
While patience may eventually pay off, Liverpool risk dropping valuable points before their squad returns to full strength.
Left-Back depth leaves questions
The club are facing defensive issues right across the back line. At left-back, Milos Kerkez is expected to become the first-choice option under Andoni Iraola, formerly impressing under the Spaniard manager during his time at the Vitality Stadium.
The Hungarian registered seven Premier League goal contributions during his final season at the Cherries, while his aggressive defending and relentless energy were key reasons Liverpool targeted him.
Admittedly, his fitness record is encouraging, having played more than 3,000 minutes in each of the past two seasons. But the concern lies behind him.
Kostas Tsimikas returns after a disappointing loan spell in the Serie A with Roma, where he played just over 1,000 minutes.
While his attitude and professionalism have rarely been questioned and his character will be a positive influence on the dressing room, expecting him to replicate the workload which Andy Robertson carried last season may be unrealistic.
Across all competitions, Liverpool will certainly need to rotate, placing significant reliance on a player lacking consistent rhythm, and a player who already looked to be on his way out of Anfield last summer.
Right-back problems increase the pressure
The right side presents another concern, with Jeremie Frimpong struggling defensively last season, to the extent that Dominik Szoboszlai was repeatedly asked to fill in at right-back even when the Dutchman was available for selection.
Iraola affirmed in a recent press conference that Conor Bradley is the club’s long-term solution, but following a serious knee injury with long-term rehabilitation, the 23-year-old may not return until January.
Even then, there is no guarantee that the Northern Irishman will settle quickly into a system that demands a different role than was expected from him under the last tactical system played by former head coach Arne Slot, especially after so long without touching a football pitch.
Calvin Ramsay has also featured during pre-season, but after spending last year with the Under-21s, asking him to make such a significant leap would be another considerable risk.
Centre-back Is Liverpool's biggest concern
Central defense is rapidly becoming Liverpool’s biggest vulnerability heading into the new season.The club’s decision to hold off on defensive reinforcements has backfired early, with Joe Gomez the only senior center-back utilised by Andoni Iraola during pre-season suffering an injury that will rule him out of the opening fixtures of the upcoming campaign.
The club’s recent recruitment drive for academy-level centre-backs means that Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye have featured prominently in pre-season, as well as 22-year-old Englishman Luke Chambers who spent last season on loan at Charlton and operated primarily as a left wing-back.
None are first-team solutions, and the lack of first-team depth suggests such a recruitment angle could be misjudged in focusing on the future.
Iraola played Ndukwe for the full 90 minutes in two of the three pre-season games in the US, a questionable decision considering that the Austrian youth international is unavailable for this upcoming season due to work permit issues and will most likely be loaned out.
Giovanni Leoni is recovering from the ACL injury that ruled him out for much of last season, whilst Jeremy Jacquqet has yet to feature in pre-season after experiencing discomfort and not having played competitively since February.
That leaves Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool's only fully fit senior centre-back currently available.
Have Liverpool prioritised the wrong position?
Reports continue to link Liverpool with a £100+ million move for Bradley Barcola. While strengthening the attack makes sense with Mohamed Salah departing the club this summer, committing such a significant fee to another winger inevitably limits the club's ability to reinforce a far more vulnerable defence.
Liverpool already possess a pool of attacking options in Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, Federico Chiesa, while youngsters such as Lewis Koumas and Trey Morrison continue to impress. Sacrificing another attacking addition in favour of two defensive signings may have represented the more balanced approach.
A risk that could define Liverpool's season
Liverpool were already vulnerable defensively last season despite having Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté available for much of the campaign. Both are now gone, leaving Iraola with an inexperienced and injury-hit back line that still needs time to adapt to his tactical demands.
The club will hope Kerkez rediscovers his best form, Frimpong improves defensively, and both Jacquet and Leoni settle quickly. But those are hopes rather than guarantees.
If Liverpool begin the season with a defence built around Kerkez, Van Dijk, an untested or returning centre-back, and either Frimpong or Szoboszlai at right-back, they will be relying heavily on players finding form rather than proven depth.
There are simply too many "ifs" surrounding Liverpool's defence. By choosing not to invest at the back, the club may have overlooked the area of the squad most in need of reinforcement, and that decision could ultimately shape their entire season.
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