Andoni Iraola already has 6 issues to solve as Liverpool takes big transfer risk

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Liverpool knows it may have to wait to do its transfer business this summer, but Andoni Iraola will have to make some big calls as soon as he starts work on his squadAndoni Iraola has plenty of issues to resolve when he arrives at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)A big summer lies ahead for Andoni Iraola as he takes over from Arne Slot, and in an ideal world, he probably wouldn’t have picked a World Cup year to take on the biggest job of his managerial career so far.Before he even takes charge of his first training session, any Liverpool fan could give Iraola a list of problems he needs to sort out after such a disappointing final season under his predecessor.It’s clear to see what might be top of the Reds’ own list, with Yan Diomande dominating the headlines, especially after his superb World Cup debut at the weekend. The teenager is clearly Liverpool’s primary target to replace Mohamed Salah, but there may still be a long wait before we know if he’ll be heading to Anfield.The World Cup adds another layer of difficulty to what was already looking like a challenging transfer to pull off, with RB Leipzig determined to either keep its star attraction for at least another year, or squeeze every penny it can out of his suitors.Liverpool knows it may have to bide its time this summer, having been in virtually the same position two years ago when Slot arrived.

Unlike two years ago though, the new boss isn’t taking over a team coming off the back of a title challenge, and there are a lot more issues that he will have to address immediately before those transfers can start rolling through the door.Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott's futures are up in the air this summer(Image: 2024 Liverpool FC)Prime among those issues will be the future of Curtis Jones. Alisson Becker looks as though he will be staying, despite all the talk over a move to Juventus, although that in turn leaves questions over Giorgi Mamardashvili.Iraola will have a big call to make on his goalkeepers(Image: Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)The Georgia international will have arrived expecting to become the No.1 goalkeeper sooner rather than later, and another season acting as backup won’t sound too appealing.

By the same token, given Alisson’s injury record, it would be a big call to send Mamardashvili out on loan, as has been suggested in some reports.Iraola won’t get long to make any of those decisions - next season’s Premier League fixtures will be released on Friday, underlining just how close we already are to the start of the new campaign.He will have to make them quickly though. Liverpool is already taking a risk if it waits until after the World Cup to do its transfer business, and unlike Slot two years ago, there isn’t a title-winning squad lying in wait.