Liverpool's midfield balance is reportedly a concern for new head coach Andoni Iraola, particularly after Ryan Gravenberch's performance in the recent 2-2 draw against Newcastle. Gravenberch's campaign began with passes that led to three goals, though two of these were for Newcastle.
Iraola acknowledged the potential rewards of his team's risky play, stating, "I don’t want us to take that from his game but we have to adapt as a team to these situations, we have to know these situations can happen." He also noted that the second Newcastle goal was not solely due to one player, but something the team needs to correct collectively.
The team's balance was reportedly disturbed by the introduction of Florian Wirtz, with Iraola intending to play the German as a No 10. This would mean a midfield duo, with Dominik Szoboszlai having licence to get into the box. Liverpool's funds are reportedly committed to finding a successor for Mohamed Salah on the right flank, with no central midfielder replacement currently planned, partly due to Trey Nyoni's pre-season performance.