The Liverpool 2026/27 season began with a 99th-minute penalty and a huge exhale. It also began with a problem nobody at Anfield has solved yet.
Andoni Iraola inherited a squad built for one style of football. He coaches another. That single mismatch shapes everything ahead for the Reds this year.
Here is the full picture: what happened, who left, who arrived, and what comes next.
Why Was Arne Slot Sacked?
Arne Slot was sacked on 30 May 2026 after Liverpool finished fifth, one year on from winning the Premier League title.
The numbers explain the decision. Liverpool conceded 53 goals last season. They lost 12 league matches. Champions League qualification arrived by the narrowest margin.
Context made it worse. The club had spent over £440m the previous summer. That outlay bought Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
Spending that much and finishing fifth ends careers. But the style hurt Slot as much as the results.
His second season produced cautious, slow, predictable football. Supporters lost patience. Mohamed Salah publicly called for a return to the heavy metal football of the Jürgen Klopp years.
Fenway Sports Group agreed with the diagnosis. That verdict explains everything that followed.
Liverpool were not alone in swinging the axe. Old Trafford went through its own upheaval, as covered in our Manchester United 2026/27 season guide.
Liverpool New Manager 2026: Who Is Andoni Iraola?
Andoni Iraola became Liverpool’s new manager on 4 June 2026. He signed a two-year deal, five days after Slot’s dismissal. The club confirmed the appointment on the official Liverpool FC website.
Sporting director Richard Hughes led the process. Hughes appointed Iraola at Bournemouth back in 2023 before moving to Anfield himself. The relationship mattered.
Iraola’s record is strong and slightly unconventional. Three seasons at Bournemouth produced finishes of 12th, ninth and sixth. That final campaign delivered the club’s first European qualification.
He achieved it while selling key players mid-season. Before England, he took Rayo Vallecano up from the Spanish second tier.
He has never managed in the Champions League. Liverpool hired him anyway.
What the club bought was a philosophy. Iraola teams press high, pass vertically and embrace risk. Bournemouth ended last season on an 18-game unbeaten run playing exactly that way.
Want the tactical detail? The press triggers, the full-back roles and the Wirtz question all get unpacked in Iraola’s Liverpool: What Changes.
The Liverpool Squad 2026/27: A Genuine Rebuild
The Liverpool squad 2026/27 looks nothing like the title-winning group. This was not a gentle transition. It was a squad overhaul.
Liverpool Departures 2026
Four cornerstones left, mostly not by choice:
- Mohamed Salah — departed as a free agent after 257 goals in 442 appearances
- Ibrahima Konaté — joined Real Madrid, having started 36 league games
- Andy Robertson — left when his contract expired
- Luis Díaz — sold to Bayern Munich the previous summer
That is the spine of a championship team, gone in two windows. Full fee and contract histories are tracked on Transfermarkt.
Who Has Liverpool Signed This Summer?
The Liverpool new signings 2026/27 have arrived steadily rather than dramatically:
| Player | From | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Jacquet | Rennes | ~£60m, long-term Van Dijk successor |
| Ronald Araújo | Barcelona | Loan, ~€55m option to buy |
| Víctor Muñoz | Osasuna | Won the penalty at Newcastle |
| Bradley Barcola | PSG | ~£120m, deal reportedly close |
The Bradley Barcola Liverpool move addresses the obvious gap. Salah’s goals need replacing somehow.
Several of these players arrived off the back of a huge summer. Isak and Cody Gakpo both featured at the World Cup, including the Netherlands rout of Sweden that Gakpo helped decide.
Liverpool Transfer Deadline Day: The Missing Piece
Liverpool transfers 2026 are not finished. Iraola said so plainly.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted the squad remains too thin. He confirmed the club will work until the deadline, with some deals landing late.
The priority is clear. A Liverpool defensive midfielder transfer would fix the season’s most visible flaw.
Transfer deadline day falls on Tuesday 1 September at 23:00 BST.
What the Opening Draw Revealed
Liverpool drew 2-2 at St James’ Park. The comeback was thrilling. The performance was not.
Anthony Elanga scored inside five minutes. Cody Gakpo levelled early in the second half. Joe Willock restored Newcastle’s lead almost immediately.
Then Lewis Hall fouled Muñoz deep into stoppage time. Dominik Szoboszlai converted in the 99th minute.
It was the latest goal Liverpool have ever scored in a Premier League opener. Salah set the previous record at 94 minutes a year earlier.
That single point leaves Liverpool 10th. The live Premier League table updates after every match.
The Gravenberch Problem
Strip away the drama and a structural issue appears.
Iraola’s pressing intensity demands a high midfield line. Ryan Gravenberch is the only natural holder in the squad. Newcastle repeatedly caught him upfield.
The alternatives do not help. Alexis Mac Allister and Szoboszlai are both attacking eights. Neither sits.
The honest assessment is uncomfortable. Klopp’s squad was built to press. This one was not.
Iraola’s system does not hide Liverpool’s imbalance. It exposes it faster. That is the defining tension of the Liverpool 2026/27 season.
Liverpool Fixtures 2026/27: Dates That Matter
The Liverpool fixtures 2026/27 offer a soft opening and a brutal autumn. The Premier League’s official site carries confirmed kick-off times.
| Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
| 29 Aug | Nottingham Forest (H) |
| 1 Sep | Transfer deadline |
| 4 Sep | Ipswich Town (A) |
| Matchday 5 | Bournemouth (A) — Iraola’s reunion |
| 11 Oct | Manchester City (H) |
| 1 Nov | Arsenal (A) |
| 30 May | Bournemouth (H) — final day |
Europe returns in September. Follow the new league phase on our Champions League hub.
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest: Liverpool’s Next Game
Liverpool’s next game is against Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Kick-off is 12:30 BST on Saturday 29 August. Check today’s live scores for updates as they happen.
Forest arrive in worse shape. Leeds United beat them 1-0 at the City Ground on opening weekend. Leeds then beat them 2-0 again days later in the Carabao Cup.
Two home defeats to one opponent in a week is a rough start for Oliver Glasner.
But history warns against complacency. Forest won 1-0 at Anfield in September 2024. They won 3-0 there in November 2025.
Liverpool only ended that run in February 2026, via a Mac Allister stoppage-time winner at the City Ground.
Glasner’s own Anfield record is excellent. He took two wins and a draw from four visits with Crystal Palace.
Bookmakers make Liverpool 11/20 favourites. Forest sit at 11/2, the draw at 7/2. For the title, Liverpool are 10/1 fourth favourites. BBC Sport carries full match reports after the whistle.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup and Starting XI 2026/27
The likely Liverpool starting XI 2026/27 for Saturday looks settled at the back.
Liverpool predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.
Muñoz is pushing hard after his cameo at Newcastle. Rio Ngumoha looks likeliest to drop out.
Gakpo should keep the left flank despite interest elsewhere. Barcola will not feature.
Virgil van Dijk remains captain. Alisson, Joe Gomez and Szoboszlai serve as vice-captains.
Ngumoha is one of several teenagers pushing through at Anfield. Our guide to the next generation of footballers covers the wider crop.
Helpful Tips for Following the Season
A few things worth watching across the campaign:
- Track the double pivot. Whoever partners Gravenberch tells the real story of Liverpool’s defensive frailty.
- Watch Kerkez closely. He made his name under Iraola at Bournemouth. He should adapt fastest.
- Judge fitness, not results, until October. Iraola has said the squad cannot yet sustain his demands.
- Treat the first five fixtures as a grace period. The Manchester City and Arsenal games are the honest tests.
- Follow the scoring race. The Golden Boot standings show whether Isak can carry Salah’s load.
Following the rebuild? Bookmark this guide and check the live league tables every weekend. It gets refreshed after every matchday and every transfer window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mohamed Salah still at Liverpool?
No. Salah left as a free agent at the end of 2025/26, after 257 goals in 442 appearances.
Who is Liverpool’s new manager?
Andoni Iraola, appointed on 4 June 2026 on a two-year contract from Bournemouth.
Are Liverpool in the Champions League this season?
Yes. Liverpool’s fifth place 2025/26 finish secured qualification, though only narrowly. Format details sit on UEFA’s official site.
Can Liverpool win the league this season?
It looks unlikely. Bookmakers rate them 10/1 fourth favourites behind champions Arsenal.
What formation does Iraola play?
Usually 4-2-3-1, with attacking full-backs and relentless pressing. The intensity matters more than the shape.
Who is Liverpool’s captain?
Virgil van Dijk continues as captain at 35, with his leadership role growing after several senior departures.
When does the transfer window close?
Tuesday 1 September 2026 at 23:00 BST.
The Verdict
Nobody should expect a title challenge. The Liverpool 2026/27 season is a rebuild, and rebuilds bring teething problems.
The pieces are genuinely exciting. Isak, Wirtz and Jacquet form a promising core. Iraola is a talented coach with a clear plan.
But talent and system must meet somewhere. Right now they have not.
Saturday against Forest offers the first real evidence at Anfield. The Liverpool 2026/27 season will be judged on how quickly that gap closes.