Liverpool's transfer activity this summer may come as a surprise to many observers: the club actually outspent its previous campaign, ploughing more than £200 million into the squad. Yet, despite the financial outlay, manager Andoni Iraola walks away from the window with a host of unanswered questions about the balance of his team.

Former Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher summed up the unease in a recent interview with Sky Sports, noting, "It does not look like a balanced squad. Liverpool are short in the full‑back areas and probably a midfield player as well." His comment captures the paradox of a club that has just splashed £123 million on the French winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint‑Germain, yet still appears to have structural gaps. Barcola’s arrival highlights the deeper issue of positional equilibrium. Liverpool have lost the Premier League’s most prolific left‑footed right‑winger in Mohamed Salah, a player whose unique skill set has been difficult to replace.

Instead of finding a direct like‑for‑like, the Reds have opted for a player whose natural position is on the left side of the attack. While Barcola is versatile, the size of his fee suggests he should be deployed where he can have the greatest impact – and that is not on the right flank. At present, Cody Gakpo has been occupying the left wing, a role previously filled by Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike at other clubs, leaving the right side without a true left‑footed specialist.

The situation becomes more tangled when you consider other potential options. Rio Ngumoha impressed during his breakthrough season on the left, yet he was used on the opposite wing in pre‑season friendlies.

Victor Muñoz, signed after a single top‑flight campaign as a left winger, also seems a plausible candidate for the right‑hand side, but his experience is limited. None of these alternatives fully resolves the right‑wing conundrum, and the lack of a dedicated left‑footed attacker on that flank remains a glaring omission. This imbalance does not, on its own, condemn Liverpool’s recruitment policy to failure.

It is more a curiosity than a catastrophe, but it does expose holes in other parts of the squad. The club appears to have loaded up in certain areas while neglecting others, creating a lopsided roster that could prove costly over a long season. A case in point is the full‑back department. When Jeremie Frimpong was signed last summer, Liverpool made it clear that he was not intended to be a direct replacement for Trent Alexander‑Arnold at right‑back.

Ironically, Frimpong has been thrust into that very role in the opening two league games, covering for the injured Conor Bradley. While Frimpong is arguably the most natural fit for the position, the club has also floated the idea of using Dominik Szoboszlai as a makeshift right‑back – a compromise that would see a midfielder shifted into a defensive role, a move that runs counter to the demands of Iraola’s high‑pressing system. The importance of full‑backs in Iraola’s philosophy cannot be overstated. Both Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have featured among the Premier League’s top three sprint performers this season, underscoring the need for pace and stamina on the flanks.

The only player ahead of them is Adrien Truffert, a former Bournemouth player under Iraola, highlighting how critical speed is to the manager’s tactical blueprint. A quick glance at the average positions of Liverpool’s players in the first two matches of the campaign versus the title‑winning season under Arne Slot reveals a stark contrast. In Slot’s side, the full‑backs often surged forward in unison, creating overloads that forced midfielders to cover large spaces.

Liverpool’s current setup mirrors this approach, but the midfield lacks the physical presence to protect against swift counter‑attacks. Ryan Gravenberch, who was instrumental in Slot’s title run, now finds himself in a Liverpool midfield that has lost some of its former robustness. Alexis Mac Allister’s physical decline over the past 18 months further exacerbates the problem.

Without a genuine holding midfielder to shield the back line, the team may struggle to cope with opponents exploiting the space left between high‑up full‑backs and deeper centre‑backs. There is also the question of whether Iraola intends to employ a traditional defensive midfielder at all.

At Bournemouth, his teams were encouraged to press aggressively and win the ball high up the pitch. As former player Alex Scott observed, the squad was “very aggressive out of possession,” with Tyler Adams noting that the players believed they would win the ball near the opponent’s goal. This high‑pressing mentality demands a midfield capable of both winning the ball and quickly transitioning into attack – a dual responsibility that the current personnel may not fulfil.

Carragher’s skepticism was evident when he said, "I do not believe that midfield can function with the personnel in there. For me, it does not work. And it is not just about personnel, it is the structure the manager is asking for." His criticism was reinforced in Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixture, where the defense was exposed within the first five minutes.

With the full‑backs pushing high and the centre‑backs sitting deep, there was a vacuum in the middle of the park that Newcastle exploited to score. Virgil van Dijk’s tendency to drop deeper as he ages adds another layer of complexity.

If the centre‑backs retreat while the full‑backs surge forward, the midfield must bridge the gap; otherwise, the team becomes vulnerable to quick transitions. This structural flaw is unlikely to disappear without tactical adjustments or personnel changes.

So, what solutions exist beyond the transfer market? Compromise appears to be the only viable path.

Carragher emphasized the need for balance: "You do not want to lose the offensive side, the fluidity, the arrivals with numbers, but obviously we were punished the other day, especially in the first goal. We did not do a proper lockdown. But there is a balance. We cannot go from one way where we send a lot of people forward to keeping everyone back so we do not arrive with numbers." He continued, "I do not want to tell Ryan Gravenberch not to carry the ball or arrive in the box.

It is a matter of identifying the situation. You cannot be with the joystick every time [controlling] the player.

There are players that are very good at smelling the danger. 'I cannot risk going now. I think I have to stay.' Recognising those situations is the job." In practical terms, this means Liverpool may need to adopt a more nuanced approach, allowing certain players to drop deeper when the team is vulnerable, while still encouraging the attacking instincts that have defined their recent play.

It could also involve rotating the full‑backs to maintain defensive solidity without sacrificing the width and speed that are integral to Iraola’s system. At present, a couple of high‑scoring draws feel appropriate for a Liverpool side still finding its equilibrium. Whether the team’s strengths will eventually outweigh its weaknesses remains to be seen.

The squad is undeniably talented and, despite its imperfections, offers an exciting brand of football. However, until the structural imbalances are addressed – either through tactical tweaks or strategic signings – Liverpool risks seeing its flaws undermine its ambitions, leaving fans to wonder if the massive investment will translate into the success they crave.