Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has admitted that he “needs more players” as preparations begin for the 2026-27 season.Speaking at his introductory press conference, the 44-year-old was asked about what work he felt the club still needed to do in the transfer market. Iraola is continuing to assess his current squad, with a large number of them returning for the start of pre-season this week.Liverpool have signed two players this summer — centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennais for an initial £55million and Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5m — but Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate have left the club.Iraola was appointed the Merseyside club’s new head coach last month on a two-year contract.“Obviously we’ve signed two players already but we need more players, we know this,” he told reporters on Monday. “The club is working on this.“Me as a coach, selfishly I want the players here from day one ready to train for preseason but understand football doesn’t work like this. I know the club is working hard for those signings and I’m trying to help also.”Liverpool are coming off the back of a disappointing season in which they finished fifth in the Premier League, which resulted in the departure of former head coach Arne Slot – only 12 months after they had won the title.Given last season’s struggles, Iraola was asked about the expectations heading into the upcoming campaign. He would not be drawn on setting a specific target, but acknowledged that there will be challenges.“I think we have to accept there are difficult situations right now in terms of both sides — a lot of very important senior players leaving that have achieved almost everything here and also some of the very important players injured,” he said.“We haven’t started training and we already have Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni with long injuries. So in terms of improving the team we have to consider we have to replace very important players that were making very good numbers and also we have a situation, especially with those three that are going to miss some time, that we also have to find a way to replace.“We know that these three players are the long term solutions, I am sure, but there is going to be, especially in Hugo’s case, a period where we will be without them so we have to find solutions.”One of the concerns among Liverpool supporters as last season went on was the disconnect they felt towards the team, especially at Anfield. It is something that Iraola is keen to change.Iraola experienced the impact the stadium and atmosphere can have when his Bournemouth side were beaten 4-2 in the opening game of last season with Federico Chiesa’s 87th-minute strike putting Liverpool ahead.He acknowledged that there will be scrutiny but expectations, but he explained that he is ready to embrace the “magic” of being Liverpool’s head coach.“I would like to give them (the supporters) a team that they can feel proud of,” Iraola said. “I think football and especially Liverpool is about connecting — connecting with the people, connecting with our supporters.“I’ve been on the other side at Anfield. You can feel the stadium and I would love to have this every time we play but that has to come from us, from inside the pitch. We have to be a team that works hard, intense, aggressive, vertical so everyone can be identified and everyone can feel comfortable supporting this team.”Jul 13, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms