Having completed the first major priority of their summer, Liverpool can now begin a period of significant transfer activity. Andoni Iraola was brought in quickly after Arne Slot’s departure, and the club’s challenge now is to provide the new manager with the players he requires – having already landed Jeremy Jacquet.
The summer transfer window opens today, creating scope for some further swift business. The World Cup may complicate certain negotiations — or at least the pace at which agreements can be finalised — though that might not apply in Darwin Nunez’s case.
Uruguay forward Nunez departed Anfield for Al Hilal last summer but appears poised for a swift return to Europe. A remarkable Anfield comeback has been suggested, although there are alternative possibilities.
So, what could lie ahead for Liverpool? We have examined a handful of prospective arrivals and departures for the Reds, beginning with the latest on Nunez.
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Plenty will feel Nunez’s figures at Anfield fell short of what you’d expect from a player signed for what was then a club record transfer. That said, expectations would differ were he to come back on a free transfer, as has been mooted.
The former Benfica forward has managed a goal or assist every 120 minutes for Al Hilal, which is perfectly respectable even if others have made a bigger splash in the Saudi Pro League. Despite being omitted from his club’s league squad for the second half of the campaign, he netted a crucial brace in an AFC Champions League victory over Al Wahda in February to show he can deliver in pressure situations.
Nunez has been named in Uruguay’s World Cup squad despite not having started for Marcelo Bielsa’s side since 2025. The 26-year-old can show Iraola his quality in North America, should the manager opt to take a more measured approach rather than committing to an early decision.
View 3 ImagesJoel Ordonez has impressed for club and country(Image: KURT DESPLENTER, BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Nunez is not the only South American at the World Cup of potential interest to the Reds. Joel Ordonez was part of an Ecuador backline that conceded a mere five goals across 18 qualifying matches and will be eager to reach the knockout rounds for the first time since 2006.
The Club Brugge defender only celebrated his 22nd birthday in April, yet has already made a considerable impression for both club and country. He featured in each of the last eight World Cup qualifiers, with Ecuador keeping a clean sheet in seven and only conceding after he was substituted in the eighth, and appeared in all 10 of Brugge’s Champions League fixtures.
Ordonez penned a contract extension in September, meaning he is unlikely to come at a bargain price. Nevertheless, his versatility to operate at right-back as well as centrally could make him an ideal complement to first summer signing Jacquet.
While the Ordonez speculation has re-emerged, a return for Jarell Quansah could prove more straightforward. The centre-back evidently did not fit into Slot’s plans, but a change in management could open the door for a comeback.
The England international’s performances for Bayer Leverkusen secured him a World Cup call-up and may prove to be precisely what he required to kick-start his career. Liverpool possess a £70m buy-back clause which reduces in 2027, though they could end up entering negotiations with his present employers.
With Ibrahima Konate departing and Giovanni Leoni still recovering from serious injury, centre-back appears to be a crucial position beyond the Jacquet acquisition. Could a return for Quansah provide the solution?
View 3 ImagesCurtis Jones’ future has remained a topic of debate(Image: Naomi Baker, Getty Images)
The managerial change at Anfield could ultimately rescue Jones’ Liverpool career from following Quansah’s path. A summer departure was widely speculated while Slot remained at the helm, but Iraola’s appointment could offer him a clean slate.
Inter Milan were the club displaying the keenest interest in the academy product. Their pursuit is far from over, and Jones may still decide the moment has come to seek pastures new.
A transfer fee exceeding £30million would probably be necessary, though team-mate Federico Chiesa suggested Jones has already posed questions that indicate he’s at least weighing up a move. “Jones only asked me how life is in Italy. I told him you live very well and the weather is better than Liverpool,” the winger revealed to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Staying with Chiesa, the former Juventus player has been touted with a Serie A comeback on multiple occasions following his struggle for consistent Anfield game time. In that same Gazzetta interview at the beginning of June, he was questioned about potentially moving to Como ahead of their Champions League bow next season.
“I’m open to anything; the important thing is to play. I’m not so presumptuous as to say I have to be a starter,” the Azzurri international said. “I’m ready to fight for a place, anywhere. [Cesc] Fabregas is a top coach; no one would have ever imagined Como like this: a beautiful team to watch, too.”
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Chiesa, who remains under contract until 2028, was used sparingly last season and played less than 400 league minutes. Even so, Liverpool could still command a respectable profit on the £12.7m they paid Juventus to acquire him in 2024.
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