Andoni Iraola will inherit two new Liverpool signings this summer secured under his predecessor Arne Slot. The Spaniard was officially unveiled as the Reds’ new head coach on Thursday, five days after the Dutchman was sacked.
The former Bournemouth manager is expected to oversee a busy summer at Anfield, with the club having lost three key figures in Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate. While considerable work will be required to restore Liverpool to genuine title contenders, Iraola can at least call upon Jeremy Jacquet and Ifeanyi Ndukwe from the outset.
The two defenders were among Slot’s final acquisitions back in January, with Jacquet having set the club back £60million from Rennes. The 20-year-old is considered one of the most highly-regarded defenders on the continent and is expected to be fit for pre-season after undergoing shoulder surgery, according to The Athletic.
Jacquet could find himself with a more prominent role than initially anticipated at Liverpool following Konate’s departure, and the young Frenchman made clear he is determined to make an immediate impact at the Premier League giants.
He told newspaper Ouest-France: “I won’t say it (his decision) was a quick one, because I took my time with this big step but I quickly saw myself at Liverpool. I’ll be 21 in July. For me, there’s the sporting project and the personal project.
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“At my age, I prioritise the sporting side. I’m focused on football. My agent told me there were two choices: either go to a mid-table club or skip the step altogether. Initially, we were leaning towards a mid-table club.
“But then I told him, ‘If the biggest clubs in Europe are interested, we’re not going to turn them down. They’re there for a reason.’ I spoke with the management; the club’s history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me.
View 3 ImagesJeremy Jacquet is set to step into Ibrahima Konate’s position(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
“Promising young players command quite high prices and of course, that adds pressure: am I worth that price or not? I think I have the minimum resources to go there. I’m going there to play as much as possible.”
Jacquet will be accompanied by Ndukwe, 18, who the Reds snapped up from Austria Vienna. The towering 6ft 6in prospect attracted interest from numerous clubs following his standout performances at the Under-17 World Cup, where he guided Austria to the final.
Ndukwe’s imminent arrival reflects Liverpool’s renewed appetite for securing Europe’s finest young talent, as evidenced by their previous capture of Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha from Leicester City and Chelsea, respectively.
View 3 ImagesIfeanyi Ndukwe will arrive at Liverpool this summer(Image: Jurij Kodrun – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The defensive pair will develop under a manager in Iraola who possesses considerable expertise in nurturing young talent. The 43-year-old highlighted the prospect of challenging for silverware when explaining his choice to join Anfield. Speaking to liverpoolfc.com, he said: “You don’t need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool.
“Liverpool is Liverpool. But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It’s difficult to find it. So, really excited to start.”
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