Liverpool lost 4–2 to Leeds, and the alarm bells are ringing
Your team went down 4–2 to Leeds United in Chicago, and it was not just a friendly. Leeds scored four in the second half alone (8). David Lynch said Liverpool "definitely need signings" after watching that collapse, though he insisted the first-half promise should not be completely ignored (8).
Iraola: Gomez out for around a month
Joe Gomez pulled up with a muscle injury and Andoni Iraola did not sugarcoat it. "Joe has a muscle injury. I think it was quite clear since he complained straight away," Iraola said. "I always put myself as one month" (10). That leaves your backline even thinner.
FSG shut down an Iraola signing request
Iraola went to the board asking for a reinforcement he wanted. FSG said no and told him to "ride through the storm" (7). The timing, a day after the Leeds loss, is not great.
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Tottenham really want Gakpo, fee around £70m
Spurs are not just kicking tyres. Fabrizio Romano and Ben Jacobs both report genuine interest in Cody Gakpo, and a figure around £70m has been floated as the kind of offer that might get Liverpool to the table (13). Ben Jacobs added it would still take Liverpool adding a replacement for any sale to be entertained (13).
PSG want at least €160m for Barcola
Bradley Barcola remains on Liverpool's radar, but PSG have set their price: a minimum of €160m (9). Claude Makelele went further, saying Barcola will "never" leave PSG and that only one man can truly replace Mohamed Salah, and it is not Barcola (6).
Curtis Jones unhappy and eyeing the exit
Curtis Jones is reportedly not happy after a bust-up and has set his sights on a move away from Liverpool (14). No details on what happened, but a homegrown midfielder pushing for the door adds to the sense of upheaval.
Hugo Ekitike out for a substantial period
Hugo Ekitike will miss a significant stretch through injury (5). Iraola may need to look internally for a stopgap, with one name already emerging from within the squad (5).
Isak: first Iraola outing ends in frustration
Alexander Isak made his first appearance under Iraola and it did not go to plan. His return ended in what was described as a setback, and Isak himself said there is "work to be done" (2).
More injury updates: Frimpong, Bajčetić, Endō, Bradley, Leoni
Jeremie Frimpong, Stefan Bajčetić, Wataru Endō, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Jeremy Jacquet, and Víctor Muñoz are all dealing with fitness issues as pre-season winds down (10). Iraola said new arrivals are imminent ahead of the Monaco friendly this weekend (12).
Fan reactions
The mood after the Leeds loss is not panic, but it is close. Fans who made the trip to Chicago said it was still a pleasure being among fellow supporters despite the result, though the second-half collapse stung. The Gakpo-to-Spurs chatter has split opinion: some see £70m as too good to refuse, others do not want a key forward sold to a rival. And one supporter screamed Hugo Ekitike's name so hard they lost their voice and almost missed their flight, which is the kind of commitment that deserves a mention. Read the Gakpo thread
