Feared in attack, light at the back - why Liverpool's transfer window leaves questions

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All summer, Andoni Iraola has said that he will be "comfortable" come the start of September when the transfer window is over and he has certainty over his squad.That moment has now arrived.Senior figures at Liverpool said from the outset that this was never going to be a transfer window like last summer, when the club spent a then record £415m under Arne Slot and broke the British transfer record twice by signing Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Last summer, Liverpool also made £188m from selling players such as Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah and ended the window with a net spend of £227m.If you include Jeremy Jacquet (a deal confirmed in January), then Liverpool's net spend is not hugely dissimilar this summer at just under £200m - having also signed Victor Munoz, Ronald Araujo on loan and Bradley Barcola for a combined total of £217.5m.But they have lost senior figures with Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all leaving for free and Curtis Jones moving to Inter Milan in a deal worth £30m.

Liverpool then rejected a bid worth £80m from Manchester City for Cody Gakpo as they were unable to get a replacement.On the basis of their first two Premier League games, there is certainly a feeling that Liverpool have left themselves short after their struggles last season.Where concern lies is the lack of quality squad depth at the back and the absence of an out-and-out defensive midfielder but Iraola's side will end the window having made the second most expensive signing of the summer in France forward Barcola, who chose the Reds despite interest from other clubs including Arsenal. Sources at Paris St-Germain described the Barcola deal - worth £123m - as part of the "greatest super sub window ever" after they made more than £280m in the sales of five players - including Goncalo Ramos, Lee Kang-in, Randal Kolo Muani and Ibrahim Mbaye - who often featured on the bench last season.Despite struggling for the game time he wanted at PSG, Liverpool believe they have secured one of the most outstanding wide attacking talents in world football.Liverpool fans could see their first glimpse of 24-year-old Barcola on Friday when Iraola's side travel to Ipswich.

Defensively, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are sidelined with long-term injuries and Joe Gomez's pre-season injury prompted Liverpool to bring in Araujo on loan from Barcelona.The experienced Uruguayan, 27, is a stop-gap for now but Liverpool have an option to buy him for £47m next summer, when Virgil van Dijk's current contract expires.Meanwhile, Leoni, 19, and Jacquet, 21, are viewed internally as two of the best young centre-backs in Europe. But, given their struggles in their first two games, this feels like a squad that could have done with more additions this summer.The club's Champions League campaign begins on 10 September, meaning two games per week most of the time and that will be a new challenge for Iraola.Liverpool believe they will be better placed once players are back from injury but only time will tell if this squad is strong enough to compete on all four fronts.