Bradley Barcola agreement, Liverpool transfers, team news

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Andoni Iraola press conference LIVE - Bradley Barcola agreement, Liverpool transfers, team news

Andoni Iraola faces the media at Liverpool's AXA Training Centre on Thursday afternoon ahead of Saturday's visit of Nottingham Forest to Anfield

Andoni Iraola's competitive Liverpool reign got off to a dramatic start last Sunday when Dominik Szoboszlai saved a last minute point at Newcastle, and now it is onto Anfield for the Reds head coach.

Liverpool face Nottingham Forest in a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, with the Midlanders proving to be a thorn in the side for Iraola's predecessor Arne Slot, who saw his Liverpool side lose both Anfield meetings with Forest in his two seasons in charge to an aggregate scoreline of 4-0.

With transfer talk still dominating Liverpool discussions, the Reds - who agreed the structure of a deal to sign Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday morning - still have plenty of work to do in the market, but Iraola will just be concerned about the three points against Oliver Glasner's side.

The Basque will be in attendance from 1.30pm to no doubt face questions on Barcola, other transfer business, this evening's Champions League draw and the visit of Forest.

Ian Doyle will be in attendance, and you can follow live updates here.

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Iraola on Jacquet

He played very well considering it was his first game. It's true he was tired, we had to sub him as you could feel he was tired in the last five minutes. He is very confident on the ball and good without the ball. Very young, we have to accept he will make mistakes.

Iraola on transfers once more being happy bringing in one or two wingers and that's it

It depends on the other positions. We know from the beginning (what we wanted). We are probably down a player in some positions due to long-term injuries and those have been our main issues.

Iraola on reaction to midfielders

Not surprised, I expected when I came here that everything would be magnified. I'm starting to understand. But it's just one game where we did a lot of very good things, even the players in midfield did, but there are definitely things we need to improve. Now it's a matter of myself and coaching staff and players. It's football. You go to the goals always. If you make exactly the same mistake then it's normal and I understand we have to talk about the defensive transitions. I thought we improved during the game in that aspect, were much much better getting the numbers. I think the first goal is more to blame than the second in terms of how we positioned when we lost the ball. We will (soon) be talking about something else.

Iraola again on transfers

There are certain things we can but it's true we need players in the wide areas. I'm sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don't know how the market is going to finish. I have to be patient as well as you. It's very uncomfortable for me as you are dealing with uncertainties all the time. In four or five days we will know what we have and then we can make proper plans.

Iraola on no Chiesa or Elliott

Fede is not available, in the game against Como he felt something in his back. With Harvey and some of the players I can only choose 20. Harvey is trying and improving every week but I still prefer other options, about the balance on the bench. That's why James McConnell was in the squad, but it's now another new week and new chances for everyone. They have to keep that mentality.

Iraola on game control vs Newcastle

I thought we controlled the game quite well, I felt we had meaningful possession, were quite direct in attack. I was feeling good in the game, I felt we were closer to scoring than Newcastle in most part of the games. I felt good things in the first game.

Iraola on midfield defensive responsibility

We can't attack with everyone. I don't want to tell Ryan Gravenberch don't carry the ball as he scored against Monaco it came from his pass to Alex. But there is a balance, recognising the situation how we can balance those numbers in those positions. Sometimes you have to accept (the players go forward), it isn't always one stays back and one goes forward. If the opposition are defending deep maybe both can go forward.

Iraola on Glasner and Forest

He has been very successful. You can see straight away the shape. They don't concede many chances, against Leeds it was a very tight game which was won with a free-kick in the last minute. We will have to earn every chances, win our duels, nothing is for free. We have to be good on the ball and patient because defensively they are very solid and good and have very good players. In transitions they are good threats on the counter.

Iraola on Anfield debut

It's going to be a special moment for me to have first PL game at Anfield. I already felt it in pre-season. I will be thinking of the game but it's also going to be emotional, it has to be like this as it's a special place. I hope everything goes well and I enjoy the game.

Iraola on transfers

I don't know what's going to happen. Even myself I have to be patient. Then we get to September 2, this is who we have and the options we have then we can start thinking. For now we don't know. I have in my head what I want, we've been talking since the beginning with the club, they know what we want. It's about closing the deals.

Iraola on team balance

We don't want to lose the offensive side the fuildity the arrival of numbers, but we were punished the other day. We have been intently working on it. It's nothing new, we always want to control that. But there is a balance, we can't go from one way where we send a lot of people forward to putting everyone back and it looks stale. It's a matter of identifying the situation. The players who are very good they smell whether they can take the risk of going or staying, it's the quality of the player who takes those decisions.

Iraola on Gakpo

After performance he had in first game I say the same, he's playing very well for us. He's been very good since he's been back from World Cup. The right attitude nad I hope we can keep him at that level. He can be very influential on us. When the market is open and we bring in expensive players I cannot guarantee anything. But I don't know. Our players, I cannot guarantee anything about how many we are going to sign or whatever. Experience tells us that if there's an opportunity the last day you can do something.

Iraola on Barcola

As you know, we are trying to sign in that position. We can't talk about players who right now aren't ours. But we are trying to improve and fill that spoistion as we don't have the numbers. I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there.

Iraola in the house

The Liverpool boss is among us.

So we can begin...

Iraola on the way

The Liverpool boss will be here soon.

At least let's hope so. Some of us need to get cracking. Busy day, this.

The (very) Tricky Trees

Nottingham Forest have enjoyed themselves at Anfield on their last two visits, winning 1-0 back in September 2024 in what was just Arne Slot's second home league game in charge, and following that up with a 3-0 win over Slot's beleagured side last November when things were just beginning to turn really sour for the Dutchman.

Will Andoni Iraola will have a bit more joy against them?

Stephen Warnock wants more signings

Liverpool need to follow up the signing of Bradley Barcola with moves for a right-back and a midfielder, according to ex-Reds star Stephen Warnock.

The Reds have struck an outline agreement to sign France international winger Barcola after talks overnight on Wednesday, with the deal including a guaranteed fee of just over £100m and an overall package in the region of £120m with add-ons.

Barcola has been Liverpool's top transfer target all summer as the Reds seek to remodel their attack following the summer departure of Mohamed Salah, and Warnock feels that defence and midfield also needs some attention too.

Read what Warnock had to say here.

Plenty to discuss

So there are quite a few topics for the assembled media to put to Andoni Iraola this afternoon then, including:

The Bradley Barcola transfer

Ismaila Sarr interest

Is the Yankuba Minteh deal really off?

Any other wingers

Potential midfield signings

Potential full-back signings

The Champions League draw

The fallout from the draw at Newcastle

And last but not least, Nottingham Forest

Could be a lively one.

The latest on Bradley Barcola

Liverpool have reached an outline agreement with Paris Saint-Germain over a deal worth more than £100million for Bradley Barcola.

The Reds have been locked in talks with the Champions League winners for some time over a deal for the France international having targeted him as their most high-profile attacking reinforcement this summer following the departure of Mohamed Salah.

And significant progress was made overnight on Wednesday with a deal being discussed that involves a guaranteed fee of just over £100m with add-ons based on individual and team success potentially taking the overall outlay up to in the region of £120m.

The detail of the proposed deal is still to be agreed and the ECHO understands there remains work to be done for the transfer to be concluded.

Read more here.

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