Liverpool's 25-Man Premier League Squad Explained

Liverpool’s 25-man squad for the 2026-27 Premier League season is locked in – and it immediately sparked confusion.

Jeremy Jacquet, Rio Ngumoha, and Giovanni Leoni were nowhere to be seen on the official list released on Thursday, prompting a wave of concern from supporters who feared injuries, registration issues, or worse. The reality is far more straightforward. And far less dramatic.

All three are classed as U21 players. All three remain eligible to play.

Barcola headlines lean summer as squad named

Liverpool’s business is done until January. The summer window closed with one major arrival: Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster $166 million deal. The French winger could make his debut as soon as Friday night away at Ipswich Town, a high-profile introduction to English football and to Andoni Iraola’s evolving side.

With more outgoings than incomings over the summer, Iraola faced a relatively clean puzzle when it came to finalizing his Premier League list. The 25 names submitted were:

• Ronald Araujo
• Bradley Barcola
• Alisson Becker
• Conor Bradley
• Luke Chambers
• Federico Chiesa
• Hugo Ekitike
• Wataru Endo
• Jeremie Frimpong
• Cody Gakpo
• Joe Gomez
• Ryan Gravenberch
• Alexander Isak
• Vitezslav Jaros
• Milos Kerkez
• Isaac Mabaya
• Alexis Mac Allister
• Giorgi Mamardashvili
• James McConnell
• Victor Munoz
• Dominik Szoboszlai
• Kostas Tsimikas
• Virgil van Dijk
• Florian Wirtz
• Freddie Woodman

That list cannot be altered until the January window opens. This is the group that will carry Liverpool through the first half of the campaign.

Why Jacquet, Ngumoha, and Leoni are missing – and why it doesn’t matter

The absence of three highly rated youngsters inevitably set social media alight. But Premier League rules give the explanation.

Clubs can register a maximum of 25 players, with no more than 17 who do not meet the “homegrown” criteria. Anyone under 21 does not need to be named in that 25-man group to play in league matches.

To qualify as U21 for the 2026-27 season, players must have been born on or after January 1, 2005. Those players fall outside the formal squad cap and can be used freely.

Jacquet, born July 13, 2005, fits that bracket. So do Ngumoha and Leoni, both still teenagers. All three are simply listed as U21 rather than senior squad members.

Jacquet and Ngumoha have already featured this season, underlining that this is a paperwork technicality rather than a sporting exile. Leoni, by contrast, has yet to appear because he is currently sidelined, one of three notable injuries in Iraola’s squad.

Injury picture: Gomez closest, Leoni and Chiesa to follow

Leoni’s name did crop up this week, but on the medical front instead of the squad sheet. He is one of three Liverpool players out injured alongside Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa.

Speaking before the trip to Ipswich, Iraola provided a clear update on the trio’s recovery.

“The closest one is Joe,” he said. “Joe will probably start training with us next week.

“He’s had a normal recovery from a muscle injury, more or less. We were expecting the time on this. I hope we can have him before the break, let’s say.

“The next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni. I think the plan is also to start training during the break, with the group, I think even Fede should be around those dates.”

So while Leoni’s name is missing from the 25-man list, the more important detail for Liverpool is that he is edging towards a return and, crucially, will be eligible to play as soon as he is fit.

Depth, rules, and a new-look Liverpool

Strip away the anxiety around the paperwork and the picture is clear. Liverpool have used the U21 rules to keep flexibility in the squad, protect space in the 25-man group, and still retain access to three talented youngsters.

The senior list carries heavyweight names in every department: Alisson and Mamardashvili in goal, Van Dijk and Araujo at the back, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai in midfield, Wirtz, Chiesa, Isak, Gakpo, and now Barcola further forward. Around them, a layer of homegrown and academy-developed players helps the club stay on the right side of Premier League regulations.

Behind that, Jacquet, Ngumoha, and Leoni wait in the shadows of the official document, but not in Iraola’s plans.

The paperwork is done. The rules are met. The window is closed. Now the question is simple: can this blend of big-money signings, seasoned leaders, and fearless U21s carry Liverpool where they expect to be by May?