Andoni Iraola's appraisal was frank and accurate. "We need more players," he said in his first news conference as Liverpool boss. "We know this. The club is working on this."
The admission came on July 13, when the summer transfer window still promised to help address the imbalance of a squad that limped to a fifth-place finish under Arne Slot last season when defending their Premier League title. However, now the summer deadline day has passed, Iraola looks to have been dealt the same imperfect hand as his predecessor, with a number of the team's deficiencies left unaddressed.
In terms of pure numbers, Liverpool's squad is actually weaker than it was last term. The four first-team incomings have been offset by the marquee departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konaté and Curtis Jones, followed by the exits of fringe players Calvin Ramsay and Stefan Bajcetic. Midfielder Harvey Elliott has also joined LaLiga side Valencia on a seasonlong loan.
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While the latter trio have admittedly played a nominal role for Liverpool in recent years, the fact remains that the Reds have declined to prioritize squad depth at a time when the ever-increasing rigors of elite football demands it -- something champions Arsenal proved at the end of last season. Ahead of a campaign in which he will manage in the UEFA Champions League for the first time, Iraola himself has remained consistent in his desire for incomings.
"We will definitely sign some players," he told Sky Sports on Aug. 21. "Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on Sept. 1, because it is true that we are still quite thin."
In the intervening weeks, though, Liverpool have made just one further signing in the shape of France international Bradley Barcola, who joined for an initial €123 million (and another potential €19 million in add-ons) from Paris Saint-Germain. And while the left-sided forward should add some much-needed pace and dynamism at the top end of the pitch, he does not help to solve the lack of depth on the right wing (though he can play there), or the Reds' glaring issues in midfield and at right back.
In isolation, there is much to admire about all four of their summer signings. Barcola is the obvious standout, but fellow forward Víctor Muñoz has already impressed in his first few outings in a Liverpool shirt, coming off the bench to win a late penalty against Newcastle United before scoring a stunning equalizer in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest. In a window where Premier League clubs have dispensed with vastly inflated fees for attacking players, signing the Spain international for just €40 million from Osasuna could prove very shrewd.