Gary Neville has accused Liverpool of leaving manager Andoni Iraola with an uncompetitive squad following bizarre transfer dealings and defensive failures at the start of the new season.
The football pundit expressed astonishment over reports that Liverpool could sell forward Cody Gakpo to rivals Manchester City for 85 million pounds while failing to recruit defensive cover. Liverpool opened their campaign with consecutive 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, leaving the team vulnerable to opposing attacks.
Neville, a former England and Manchester United defender who won eight Premier League titles, voiced his concerns on his podcast. Iraola, the Spanish manager who took charge of Liverpool after establishing a reputation for high-pressing football, faces mounting pressure to address squad deficiencies before the transfer window closes.
Concerns over Cody Gakpo transfer
Neville questioned the logic of allowing Gakpo to depart for a major rival, even as Liverpool pursue other attacking options. Gakpo, a Dutch international forward, has been a key contributor in attack for Liverpool since arriving from PSV Eindhoven.
Speaking on his podcast, Neville said: "It's bizarre. The noise that Gakpo might leave, I know that Barcola might come in, but he looks like their best forward. I think he's a real danger."
He added: "Someone like him can maybe not be appreciated at times. He's always involved and you should never underestimate a player like him. There's a lot of scruffy things he does but he always keeps coming back, he always wants the ball and he's always there. He does contribute with goals and with assists, maybe not at a massive level, but it's hard to replace lads like him."
Neville warned that selling to direct title competitors poses a significant risk. "When your main opponents are looking to take him off you, I always think that is a bit of a worry and I don't think they can afford to lose him," he said.
Defensive vulnerabilities at full back
Beyond the attacking line, Neville expressed dismay over Liverpool's decision not to strengthen their wide defensive options. The club currently relies on Milos Kerkez at left-back and Jeremie Frimpong at right-back in their defensive setup.
Neville argued that both players are better suited to wing-back roles in a five-man defense rather than a traditional back four. "If they're going to play a back four, and Kerkez and Frimpong are going to play full-back, and they're not going to sign a holding midfielder, Liverpool are going to concede a lot of goals," Neville said.
Highlighting specific errors from the draw against Nottingham Forest, Neville pointed out lapses in positional discipline. "With the two goals against Forest, the right back is nowhere to be seen on the first one and on the second one, he lets the runner go from a throw-in when he should just mark him and go with him all the way. He's not got a natural instinct of how to defend," Neville noted.
Neville compared Frimpong to former Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, an academy graduate and England international known for his extraordinary assist tally. "We used to criticise Trent Alexander-Arnold for his defensive work. To put this into context, TAA is a lot better defender than Frimpong, and he used to contribute 15-20 assists in a season. I don't think Frimpong will," Neville said.
Addressing Kerkez, Neville noted that the Hungarian international left-back has struggled to settle into the side. "Kerkez doesn't look like he's settled. At one point last season I thought he looked like an academy player playing at left-back for Liverpool and he's not, he's a very good player but they can't play with those two at full back and expect not to concede goals," Neville explained.
Heavy spending in central positions
Liverpool have invested heavily in other areas of the pitch during the current transfer window. The club addressed their central defensive shortage by signing Jeremy Jacquet from French Ligue 1 side Rennes for 60 million pounds and bringing in Ronald Araujo on loan from Spanish giants Barcelona.
In attack, Liverpool are poised to complete a 123 million pound deal for Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. They have already signed Victor Munoz for 34 million pounds from Osasuna, with the Spanish forward scoring his first goal for the club against Nottingham Forest.
Despite these high-profile additions, Liverpool have failed to secure a direct replacement for Fabinho in the holding midfield role. Fabinho anchored Liverpool's midfield during their previous Premier League and Champions League title wins, and his departure left a crucial gap in front of the back line.
While Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas remain available as full-back options, neither defender is renowned for defensive stability, leaving the squad exposed when key starters are out of position.
Calls for deadline day recruitment
Neville urged Iraola to exert pressure on the club's board to secure defensive reinforcements before the transfer deadline. "I'm not sure what's going on there in respect of their recruitment. I don't think they have the numbers in defence. I think they're leaving Andoni Iraola well short," Neville stated.
He added: "I know he looks like a gentleman and you see him in the interviews but if I was him I'd be demanding something in the next 48 hours because it will cost him. They will concede a lot of goals if those two play at full back in a normal traditional back four with that midfield."
Neville concluded that while Liverpool possess strong attacking firepower, their defensive structure threatens to derail their campaign. "There's real excitement with the players they've got up top and if they added a defensive midfield player, and two good full backs, they'd have a really good chance. But they're being undermined by a lack of recruitment in those full back areas and in central midfield. They need to do something," he warned.
