Liverpool's Defensive Concerns: Iraola's Search for Experienced Centre-Backs

Liverpool’s defensive alarm bells are ringing, and Andoni Iraola has wasted no time making his first big demand: an experienced centre-back, and fast.

The new head coach has walked into a pre-season that has already exposed a soft underbelly. A disrupted build-up, a patched-up back line, and a friendly that told him more than any training drill could.

Pre-season reality check

Against Sunderland, Iraola’s plans were ripped up inside 10 minutes. Joe Gomez, one of the few senior defenders available, went off early, forcing the Spaniard to turn to 18-year-olds Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe to see out the game.

They coped, Liverpool won, but the message was brutal and clear: this squad is one injury away from a defensive crisis.

Virgil van Dijk, still on an extended break after the World Cup, has yet to rejoin the fold. Summer signings Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are still recovering from injuries. What should be the spine of Iraola’s team is, for now, a medical bulletin.

No wonder central defence has been flagged as a priority position.

Stones tops the list

Liverpool have accelerated their work in the market, and two England internationals sit high on the shortlist: John Stones and Ezri Konsa.

Stones, in particular, is viewed as a standout opportunity. At 32, he has just left Manchester City as a free agent and is coming off an outstanding World Cup under Thomas Tuchel, a tournament that reinforced his status as one of Europe’s most composed ball-playing defenders.

He has interest from across the continent, from the Premier League, from MLS, and from the Saudi Pro League. Yet Liverpool are firmly in the conversation.

Stones is open to talking about a move to Anfield. That door is not just ajar; it’s there to be walked through. The complication? Arsenal and Chelsea are also in discussions with him as he weighs up what is likely to be the last major contract of his career.

For Liverpool, the appeal is obvious: elite experience, free transfer, instant leadership.

Konsa’s versatility catches the eye

Konsa has emerged as another serious option. The Aston Villa defender is admired not only for his quality at centre-back but also for his ability to slot in at right-back, a trait Iraola sees as a major asset in a long, demanding season.

That flexibility could reshape Liverpool’s defensive rotations. It offers cover for Gomez, tactical variety, and a way of protecting the full-back positions without weakening the centre.

Arsenal remain keen on Konsa, but Liverpool have now stepped into that race, assessing him alongside a wider group of targets as they try to build a more robust defensive unit.

Familiar face in Paris

Liverpool have also been alerted to the potential availability of Paris Saint-Germain defender Illia Zabarnyi.

The former Bournemouth centre-back has grown frustrated with a lack of regular minutes in France. Any deal would be complicated, but Iraola knows exactly what he would be getting. The pair worked together on the south coast, where the Ukraine international blossomed under the Spaniard’s guidance.

Iraola is still a huge admirer of Zabarnyi and would welcome the chance to reunite if the opportunity arises. For a coach trying to impose his ideas quickly, a defender who already understands his demands carries obvious appeal.

Dream targets out of reach – for now

Behind those immediate options sit the dream signings. Chelsea’s Levi Colwill and Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven remain high on Liverpool’s long-term wish list. Both fit the ideal profile: young, left-sided, athletic, and already proven at Premier League level.

But the timing is all wrong. Chelsea and Spurs have no intention of letting them go. Sources around both London clubs are adamant: there will be no departures. For Liverpool, those names stay on the board, but only in the “if something changes” column.

The recruitment team are also still tracking Antonio Silva and Ousmane Diomande. Silva is expected to complete a move to Bournemouth, while Nottingham Forest are advancing in talks for Diomande. Liverpool, though, have kept themselves informed on both situations, a reflection of their long-standing admiration rather than any imminent move.

A decisive window for Iraola

All of this leaves Liverpool at a critical juncture. Iraola has identified the fault line. The club’s hierarchy know the stakes. The season is coming fast, and the margin for error at the back is shrinking by the day.

Anfield has seen title challenges built on rock-solid defences. The question now is simple: which of these names will walk through the door and anchor Iraola’s new era?