Liverpool's Summer Squad Decisions: Time is Running Out

Liverpool’s summer is down to the final six days, and Andoni Iraola still doesn’t have the squad he wants.

The Spaniard was Liverpool’s first-choice to replace Arne Slot after a dismal 2025-26 campaign, and his arrival was supposed to jolt Anfield back to life. His high-octane, front-foot football looked a natural fit for a fanbase raised on chaos and intensity.

But a 2-2 draw with Newcastle on Sunday told its own story. The ideas are there. The execution isn’t – not yet. This squad still needs work.

Six days, big decisions

The clock is now loud. Less than a week of the window remains and several potential deals are stuck in that uncomfortable space between interest and completion. For some, it’s now or never.

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and Iraola don’t have time to waste, but they do still have time to act. One or two smart additions are still possible if they move aggressively.

And at Kirkby, there’s already a new face in the building.

Gambian talent on trial

Gambian midfielder Musa Jatta Bajaha has been spotted at Liverpool’s training centre as he undergoes a trial with the club.

The former BST Galaxy prospect, who joined Swedish side Öster earlier this year, posted an image on his Instagram story standing beside Dominik Szoboszlai’s locker – a clear sign of how close he’s getting to the inner circle as Liverpool assess whether he’s worth bringing to L4.

It’s a small detail, but a telling one. The first team is the end goal. The door is at least ajar.

Academy identity under scrutiny

Liverpool’s academy has long been one of the club’s defining pillars. From Kirkby to the Kop, the line has produced a steady stream of talent, with Steven Gerrard the standout symbol of what a local pathway can become.

Right now, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha are regarded as the brightest prospects in the system, both expected to feature in Iraola’s plans this season. Their emergence matters in a squad that has lost depth and, in some areas, direction.

Rivals have noticed the value of youth and are strengthening their own academies. Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal – the arms race at under-18 and under-21 level is real. Liverpool cannot afford to stand still.

So the sight of Bajaha on trial is no surprise. It’s part necessity, part tradition.

Rebuilding the pathway

Under Slot, the pathway from academy to first team felt clogged. Youngsters struggled to break into the starting XI, and Liverpool increasingly looked to the market to plug gaps rather than trust their own.

That strategy is risky when the squad is already thin and there is no appetite – or ability – to sell heavily. You can’t fund constant external fixes without assets to move on. At some point, the academy has to carry its weight again.

That’s where signings like Nyoni, Ngumoha, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Samuel Martinez come in. They are not just names on a youth team sheet; they are future solutions, potential heirs to positions that will soon be vacated by veterans.

Bajaha, if he convinces the staff during his trial, could be another piece of that puzzle.

And right now, with Liverpool short of midfield options and a new manager demanding energy, aggression and legs in the middle of the pitch, there are few roles more valuable than a young midfielder ready to grow into the chaos.