Liverpool 2026/27 Season Preview: Transfers, Squad Depth & Fixture Outlook

 

 

Liverpool's 2026/27 season already carries a sense of urgency before a ball has been kicked, with new head coach Andoni Iraola stating plainly that the squad "needs more players." Two summer signings have arrived in Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz, but the exits of Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate have left gaps that cannot be papered over. Long-term injuries to Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni add another layer of complication to a pre-season that feels more about patching holes than building rhythm. From what I have observed in Iraola's early press conferences, the honesty is refreshing, but the underlying message is clear. This squad, as it stands, is not ready for the demands of a Premier League campaign where a return to the top four is the bare minimum expectation.

 

Liverpool Transfer Window Recap

 

Liverpool New Signing Players (2026/27)

 

 

Liverpool Departure Players (2026/27)

 

 

Liverpool Loaned Players (2026/27)

 

Note: Updated on 23 July 2026

 

Liverpool did not hit the reset button this summer, but they definitely turned a page. Salah, Robertson, and Konaté all moved on. That is a lot of dressing room weight gone in one window. The club responded by signing younger players who fit a longer-term plan rather than chasing quick fixes, and I can see the logic even if it leaves the squad looking light right now.

 

Jacquet has the raw materials to grow into a proper defensive presence. Muñoz gives Iraola another body in attack, and Ndukwe is clearly a developmental bet. All three make sense individually, but together they do not fill the hole left by three players who started big games for years and rarely let the side down.

 

What I noticed was the gap between the signings and the departures. Goals, leadership, and hundreds of appearances just walked out the door. You cannot draft that back in overnight. The season ahead hinges less on the new faces and more on whether the players already at the club can raise their level fast enough to bridge it.

 

More on this: A deeper breakdown of Liverpool's transfer and what it means for the starting XI.

 

How Strong Is Liverpool's Squad Depth for the 2026/27 Season?

 

Goalkeepers – 4.5/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

Alisson remains one of the best in the world, and having Giorgi Mamardashvili as his understudy feels almost unfair. Last season he picked up his 100th league clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Leeds. Only four other keepers in the club's history have done that. The whole backline just looks more composed with him behind them. Woodman and Harvey Davies add further depth behind them. An Alisson injury would sting, but the drop-off would be smaller here than at any other position on the pitch. When I look around the league, I struggle to name a stronger goalkeeping room.

 

Defence – 3.5/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

This unit is talented but unfinished. At centre-back, Van Dijk and Gomez bring experience and reliability, while Jacquet and Leoni offer mobility and hunger. It is a decent blend of old and new, but losing Konaté means the rotation will be tested more often than it was last season. I like the full-back options. Kerkez and Tsimikas on the left, Frimpong and Bradley on the right. That is pace and aggression on both flanks, which suits Iraola's approach perfectly. The pieces are here, but Jacquet, Kerkez, and Leoni still need to prove they can survive a full season at the top end of the table. The Robertson-Konaté double departure means this backline is still finding itself.

 

Midfield – 4.5/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

This is where Liverpool look genuinely stacked. Wirtz, Szoboszlai, and Mac Allister give you three different styles in the same engine room: a playmaker, a shooter, a controller. Behind them, Jones, Gravenberch, and Elliott are all good enough to start league matches without the quality dipping too far. Endo, Bajcetic, and Nyoni provide cover and promise at the base of midfield. I would argue this is the deepest group in the squad. Six or seven players who can handle big games, plus youth pushing from underneath. Four competitions should not overwork this unit.

 

Forwards – 3/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

The starting front three of Isak, Gakpo, and Chiesa looks sharp. Isak is a proper number nine, Gakpo has found consistency, and Chiesa on his day is a nightmare for full-backs. The concern sits just behind them. Ekitike, Muñoz, and Ngumoha add numbers, but the drop from starter to backup on the wings feels steeper than it should for a club with Liverpool's ambitions. Salah's departure ripped a hole in the attacking output, and Chiesa's fitness record means you cannot bank on him for 50 games. One or two injuries out wide, and the options suddenly look thin. That is why the transfer chatter keeps circling back to wingers, and honestly, I think it is justified.

 

What Do Liverpool Fixtures Look Like This Season?

 

Liverpool's opening Premier League stretch is actually quite kind. Aside from the trip to Newcastle United on matchday one, they avoid all the big hitters across the first five league games. No Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, or Everton. If Iraola gets through those early weeks with solid points, they could hit October with real momentum.

 

The Bournemouth away match on 20th September is the one I'll be watching closely. First time back at the Vitality since he left, and after delivering Europa League football there, that afternoon is going to feel a bit strange for him.

 

November is where the heat turns up. United at Anfield on the 21st, Merseyside derby away on the 28th. Two massive league fixtures in seven days. December looks easier: Chelsea away, then Leeds, Spurs, and Hull at home, plus Villa away.

 

The bit that worries me is the run-in. Their final month is brutal. Chelsea at home, City away, Brentford home, Brighton away, Bournemouth home. If the title is still in play by May, those five matches will decide everything.

 

Off the pitch, this is a new era. First season without Salah since 2017, Robertson gone to Spurs. Victor Munoz arrives from Osasuna as the headline signing. Last season, Liverpool won five straight, then lost four in a row, and eventually sacked after a broader decline in results. Iraola's challenge is making sure that collapse doesn't happen twice.

 

Here are the confirmed fixtures so far: 

 

August 2026

 

September 2026

 

October 2026

 

November 2026

 

December 2026

 

January 2027

 

February 2027

 

March 2027

 

April 2027

 

May 2027

Note: Updated on 23 July 2026

 

Can Liverpool Win the Premier League in 2026/27?

 

I think they can, but only if Iraola gets the tactical side right. The squad is absolutely good enough. Van Dijk and Alisson are still world-class, the attack can hurt anyone on their day, and bringing in someone like Florian Wirtz gives them a creative edge that most teams simply do not have. Look at this group on paper, and you see title winners.

 

The issue is not the players. It is the system. Last season exposed something ugly. The Premier League moved toward direct, fast football, and Liverpool kept trying to play their old possession game. Opponents figured them out. No team in the league faced more long balls than Liverpool's 571 in nine matches. The four defeats in a row? Every single opponent used long-ball rates over 25%. They just bypassed the press and caught Liverpool in transition, again and again.

 

This is where Iraola comes in and I actually think he is the right man for this moment. His Bournemouth teams pressed hard, moved the ball fast, and attacked with real purpose. That is exactly what the league demands right now. He knows how to handle direct opponents because he built his reputation playing that way. My only concern is timing. Shifting from Slot's controlled approach to Iraola's high-intensity style cannot happen overnight. He needs the right players and the squad needs to buy in.

 

For Liverpool to genuinely challenge, I see three non-negotiables. First, they have to fix the defensive shape, especially the space behind the full-backs and those second balls after aerial duels. Second, the midfield simply must be more athletic. Too often last season they got overrun in transition. Third, the attack needs to be more ruthless and direct, less of the patient build-up and more hitting teams quickly before they can set their defence.

 

If Iraola can sort those issues out, I believe Liverpool can push for the title. But Arsenal are tactically polished under Arteta, and Manchester City might not lose their consistency under Maresca. There is no room for slip-ups. I do not think this is a one-season rebuild, nor do I think it is a lost cause. The core is still there. The question for me is whether Iraola can reshape it in time.

 

How Is Liverpool Performing This Season?

 

To understand where Liverpool are heading, we first need to be honest about where they have been. Opta's stats from the 2025/26 campaign tell that story clearly, and given the new season has not started yet, this is the only reliable data we have to assess the squad's real state.

 

2025/26 Premier League Stats

 

 

2025/26 Champions League Stats

 

 

 

How Is Andoni Iraola Transforming Liverpool's Playing Style?

 

Iraola is transforming Liverpool by replacing patient, possession-based control with a faster, more direct, and higher-intensity approach. Slot's Liverpool was built on keeping the ball and controlling the tempo. Iraola's teams are defined by verticality, aggressive pressing, and rapid transitions. This is not a tweak. It is a complete philosophical reset.

 

The biggest change is the move from possession football to direct football. Under Klopp and Slot, Liverpool dominated the ball and built patiently. Iraola wants the ball forward quickly. The data from the Premier League below tells the story: Liverpool will sacrifice possession for faster attacks.

 

 

The pressing identity is where Iraola is most like Klopp. But Klopp's sides pressed to regain and reset. Iraola's sides press to create immediate transitions. Under Klopp, Liverpool averaged 9.6 high turnovers per game. Under Slot, that dropped to 7.8. Iraola's Bournemouth registered 8.6. Tackles tell a similar story. Lose the ball, win it back immediately. Hunt in packs and attack the moment possession is recovered. Faster transitions are the hallmark of Iraola's philosophy. Recover the ball, play forward immediately. No sideways passes. Players like Ekitike, Wirtz, and Szoboszlai are perfect for this.

 

 

Formation-wise, I expect Iraola to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation Slot used, but the roles will look completely different. At the back, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are exactly the all-out attacking full-backs he wants for his high-tempo system. Under Iraola, full-backs are engines who provide width and overlap, not playmakers who drift inside.

 

The midfield is where I think we will see the most interesting changes. Wirtz could be asked to drop deeper, collecting the ball from defence and spraying passes from deep, similar to how Alex Scott operated for Bournemouth. Szoboszlai, with his endless running and pressing intensity, looks like a perfect fit.

 

One more thing I am keeping an eye on is Ekitike. When he is fit, I would not be surprised to see Iraola use him as a No.10. His dribbling and finishing remind me of how Junior Kroupi thrived in that role at Bournemouth. If Ekitike and Isak develop that chemistry, Liverpool might just have found their next great attacking trio.

 

The real challenge is this: Bournemouth played on the counter because they faced teams that dominated possession. Liverpool will face opponents sitting deep. Iraola's direct style works in transition, but what happens when there is no space to transition into? I think Iraola's system will work, but it will require patience. The key is whether he can adapt his principles to a club that dominates possession. If he can, Liverpool are title contenders. If not, the transition could be bumpy.

 

What Are the Latest Betting Trends Around Liverpool?

 

Despite finishing fifth last season, Liverpool are still third favourites at 6.00, behind Arsenal (2.75) and City (3.80). That is a significant gap given they finished 25 points behind the Gunners. The market is backing Iraola's reputation and the squad's talent, but also hedging. 6.00 says contenders, not favourites, which feels about right given the tactical overhaul.

 

Note: Odds are accurate as of 24 July 2026.

 

GoalBible Final Verdict

 

Liverpool enter 2026/27 with plenty of talent but plenty of uncertainty. The squad has title-winning quality, but shifting from Slot's patient possession to Iraola's high-intensity, direct football takes time. The league has moved toward transitional play, and Iraola's philosophy fits that direction. 

 

My concern is whether he can make it work against deep defences that will sit back and deny him space. The attack looks dangerous, but losing Konate and Robertson leaves the backline thinner than it should be. Everything hinges on how quickly Iraola's pressing and transition system clicks. If it does, Liverpool could surprise people. If it takes longer than expected, the title challenge would likely have to wait.

 

 

Top 5 Premier League Liverpool Top Scorers Prediction (2026/27)

 

The following predictions and ranges are based on each player's actual 2025/26 Premier League season data, pulled from FootyStats, projected forward into the new campaign.

 

1. Alexander Isak

 

No. of Goals: 18–22

No. of Assists: 5–7

 

Isak's first season was a write-off. Three goals in 14 games, constantly in and out with injuries. But the numbers underneath were actually decent. His xG sat at 2.65, which tells me he was getting into the right areas, just not converting. Now he has had a proper preseason, Salah is gone, and Iraola is building the attack around him. I think this is the year it clicks. The bookies agree too. They have him as the early favourite for the Golden Boot.

 

2. Hugo Ekitiké

 

No. of Goals: 10–14

No. of Assists: 4–6

 

Ekitiké might be the most reliable finisher at the club right now. He scored 11 in 28 games last season, and his non-penalty xG numbers put him in the top 1% of the league. That is not luck. Whether he starts alongside Isak or comes off the bench, I expect another double-digit season from him. 

 

3. Cody Gakpo

 

No. of Goals: 10–14

No. of Assists: 6–8

 

Gakpo has quietly become one of Liverpool's more complete attackers. He scored 7 goals from 10.33 xG last season, which suggests he was actually a bit unlucky. I would expect that to correct itself this year. With Salah out of the picture, he should get more time in those dangerous areas where he does his best work.

 

4. Florian Wirtz

 

No. of Goals: 8–12

No. of Assists: 8–10

 

Wirtz's first season was always going to be an adjustment period. Five goals looked low, but his 7.61 xG told a different story. The chances were there; he just needed time to adapt to the league. Now that he has settled, I expect his goal output to climb. 

 

5. Dominik Szoboszlai

 

No. of Goals: 5–8

No. of Assists: 6–8

 

Szoboszlai is not really a goalscorer, but he is a creative force. His expected assists ranked in the top 2% of the league last season, which is seriously impressive. Even if his goal tally stays modest, his playmaking will be valuable. With more freedom to push forward in Iraola's system, I think he adds a few more goals to his game as well.

 

Premier League Liverpool Position Prediction (2026/27)

 

Prediction: 4th Place

 

I think Liverpool will get back into the top four, but the title is probably out of reach this season. The attack looks dangerous, no question about that, but I have concerns at the back. Losing Konate and Robertson leaves the defence short on experience, and Iraola's system will take time to settle. Those tight games against the top sides could be where Liverpool drop the points that cost them a real title push. Fourth feels like a fair return for a team in transition.