Premier League 2026-27 preview No 14: Liverpool
Liverpool and new head coach Andoni Iraola face the challenge of replacing Mohamed Salah and restoring confidence at Anfield as they prepare for the 2026-27 Premier League season, the club preview published on 2026-08-18 notes. The piece also flags the arrival of high-profile investors as a potential source of stability or disruption.
Iraola was recruited after his work at Bournemouth attracted interest from Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace, and he accepted Liverpool’s offer despite being warned by the owners about the club’s issues. “When I came here, the owners told me everything is not perfect,” the new head coach revealed at his unveiling. “They said we would have some challenges, we would have to replace important players leaving, we have some injuries, but we are here to solve these kind of problems.”
The preview highlights Iraola’s reputation for attractive, improving teams and his problem-solving record at Bournemouth, where he took the side into Europe despite losing most of his defence in the summer and Antoine Semenyo in January. It contrasts Iraola’s arrival with Arne Slot’s troubled season, which the article says included unprecedented challenges such as the death of Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah’s attempts to undermine his manager in public. How much of last season’s regression is down to Slot, the preview states, will become clearer in the months ahead.
On the pitch, Liverpool begin the season with a different profile after Salah’s departure, placing greater responsibility on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak following what the preview calls underwhelming debut campaigns. Wirtz has been used just behind Isak in pre-season with promising early signs, while Dominik Szoboszlai’s new five-year contract is noted as removing a distraction in central midfield. The piece adds there remain questions over wide attacking threat, defensive resources and leadership within the squad.
Behind the scenes there has been significant change: Michael Edwards has departed as chief executive of football for the owners, Fenway Sports Group, and the sporting director, Richard Hughes, is expected to follow once the transfer window closes. The article also details the sale of 30% of the club for £1.65bn to a consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Amit Bhatia, and notes Bhatia has become vice-chairman on an expanded board. Supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly is quoted asking: “Is this part of a planned wider sale, or a one-off? What due diligence is being done on the potential investors/owners? This is about their plans, reasons for purchase and involvement in sports or business elsewhere.”
The club’s recruitment is covered with specific signings and targets: Liverpool remain linked with Bradley Barcola while completing a £55m deal rising to £60m for defender Jérémy Jacquet from Rennes, a transfer followed by a shoulder injury that ended his season and affected his first pre-season at Anfield. Jacquet is described as an immediate, if inexperienced, answer to central defensive needs and impressed on his first outing against Como. The preview also mentions opportunities for Rio Ngumoha and the rapid pre-season progress of 19-year-old Trey Nyoni, who previously made six substitute Premier League appearances and eight cup outings.
Pre-season preparations were disrupted by post-World Cup holidays that deprived Iraola of eight players when the squad reported back, and the article records mixed tournament outcomes for Liverpool players, noting deflating exits for Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Florian Wirtz alongside Alexis Mac Allister’s role in helping Argentina reach a second successive final. Iraola’s own form arriving at Liverpool is cited: he was unbeaten in his final 18 league matches last season.
Iraola will have had a full squad together for three weeks by the time the season starts at Newcastle, injuries excluded, a preparation window the preview frames as crucial ahead of Liverpool’s opening fixture.