Round-upAndoni Iraola press conference: Newcastle v Liverpool, first-game excitement, transfers and more

The Reds begin 2026-27 at Newcastle United on Sunday and, on Friday afternoon, Iraola previewed the trip to St. James’ Park by holding a press conference at the AXA Training Centre.

As well as revealing which players have been appointed vice-captains for 2026-27, the boss discussed a wide variety of topics, including his expectations for Sunday’s game, objectives for the season, transfers and more.

Read our round-up below.

On taking charge of his first Premier League game as Liverpool head coach...

I feel excited. I can feel it even in the atmosphere when you train with the players. You feel like this week is a little bit different. We've been preparing friendlies, we've been preparing for other opposition, but this smells different. I'm looking forward to being there on Sunday and feel the pressure and start a competition that is what we like.

On his expectations for the season...

I think you will put [to] me for sure the goals and everything. I want to be a really good team. I want to use the good players that I have in the best way, so they give us the chance to fight for everything.

On the transfer window...

As a manager, this is an easy one for me. I wanted the players for the first day, July 13, everyone here, all the positions doubled, top-level players. But you understand how the competition works, that [the] market is open and you start the competition. We have to adapt as coaches to this situation. I hate these two weeks or these 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty – but not in Liverpool, everywhere because once the market is open.

But we have to adapt. Honestly, I don't want to spend too much time thinking on these things. I know that you will ask me a lot of questions about the market and this, but I am focused on the game against Newcastle. That is massive for me and using the very good players that we have right now in the building in the best way so we can be competitive from the beginning.

On transfer targets and Curtis Jones...

You know what I'm going to tell you. We cannot speak about players that are not ours. I understand the questions. With Curtis, you know. I think it's still not official but there is an ongoing situation. I understood with Curtis, I talked to him. I think in the first or second training we talked. I value him a lot as a player. He loved this club – it was very clear since the beginning for me – but I understood that probably the outcome was going to be what it has been at the end.

You are asking me what we need, there are certain situations that for me are clear – especially now on the wing because we don't have enough players specific to play in those positions. And then after in other positions, I think we have to be open and open-minded in the market to see situations that honestly can improve our team. It's not about signing because we need a player here. No, it's about improving the squad. And we have very good players already here, so to improve our very good players, you need like a specific level [of] players, yes.

On Cody Gakpo...

Cody is performing really well. I think he has been since the first day training very well, understanding everything we need from his position. I think you can feel it straight away when you talk to him, he understands the game. He's very smart and he has been one of our best players in the friendlies. But definitely he has been performing very well. I cannot tell you the starting XI, the players don't know it, so I will never say it, but definitely he's in a great spot.

On new Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle...

We knew him from before but now that you play the first game of the season, you always over-analyse everything, even the teams that he has been coaching before. We don't have so many friendlies as a reference with Newcastle, but at the end I don't think he changes too much the style. In the end, Newcastle will be strong in transitions, very fast players up front, physical team. Especially at home, the atmosphere in St. James' Park is going to be strong. We know it's not an easy game to start the season. So, we have to be ready for that start, for that level of players and I think we are preparing for this, yes.

On Alexander Isak returning to St. James' Park...

It's always special when you play against your ex-team in your stadium. It's the same way when I go back to play against Bournemouth. You always want to do well in the Premier League. And the first game of the season, I think everyone will be very, very motivated, and I think it's going to be the same for Alex.

On the level of leadership and experience in his squad with several senior players having left this summer…

We lost a lot in terms of experience, of high-level players that have performed so well for so many years here. But I also think it's a natural thing in clubs. I think we have a lot of very young players also willing to take those minutes, ready to take those leadership roles. And overall, I'm very happy with the attitude of the players in this pre-season. Always pre-season is easier for the managers because there are less complaints about minutes, about being out of the squad and all these things. But still I think everyone has been very ready to understand what we demand from them. I'm happy with the feeling I have with this group of players.

On whether anything has surprised him about being Liverpool head coach...

No, I think a lot of things will surprise you in terms of how big this club is. But I knew [that] when I was coming, I knew that we are going on pre-season and we are more than 100 people travelling, the amount of people following us when you go down in your hotel and you see the expectations. But it's lovely and I feel the privilege of being here in this moment, yes.

On how close he feels the team is to being able to play his desired style of football…

It's difficult to say it in terms of percentage, but I'm sure if you ask Matthias the same question or a lot of the new managers that are coaching new teams, [they are also] probably not 100 per cent. But I'm happy in terms of... I think we are in a level where we can compete and we can win games and we still can be a good team. That we need to improve, definitely, we will improve and we will try to do it as quickly as possible.

But there are always like processes and I think [in] pre-season, always you never know where you are. So, we are willing to start also and know, OK because in pre-season you change a lot the teams, you don't know if the teams have gone strong, has gone a little bit weaker, or they've been training a lot or they've been in training less. So, friendlies are for me a good reference, but not as good as the real thing. That starts on Sunday and I think we are in a good place.

On the importance of Isak to his system and keeping him fit…

I think the same as other players [it is important to keep him fit]. Alex is going to be a very important player for us this season. Right now I think he is in a very good place, he's been training every day, he hasn't missed a training session, he's adding more and more minutes in every friendly game. I think that he already played a very good World Cup in terms of availability, fitness level. I want to keep him there as much as we can because we know his level and if we can keep him there, he will score the goals, he will give us a lot of things.

Probably my instructions [to him] are more in terms of without the ball, how he can help in the position and when we are on the ball so he can open spaces for other players. I'm not trying to focus on terms of goals but he's a striker, he would want to score, but I try not to judge the strikers because they scored or they haven't.

On the importance of the analysis department with each of Liverpool's first six Premier League opponents having new managers…

Yes, there have been a lot of managerial changes in the last season. We are facing a lot of new managers, like me here, in the first games so there is an extra part of the job to do: analysing how they've played in the previous clubs, even certain situations, set-pieces and routines that they can use against us, things that they've been doing. And I think we are getting to know each other with the analysts, the things that I like from every situation.

I think we've had already five, six games in pre-season to try to arrive also in the best form to this first game of the season. We've been doing the same thing in the friendlies so now we are ready for when the competition starts, but for me the analyst group are very important in clubs. I've come also with one analyst that has helped me in this integration with their group, and I think we are in a good place. But I want us, the same as the team, to improve also our relationships, our connections, half-time, these things, because it's the best way to help the players.

On whether he wanted to keep Jones...

I've never hid it, for me Curtis is a very good player. A very, very good player, but I understood straight away, when he talked to me, his situation. He is coming from some years kind of in the same position, same situation. I didn't know in that moment, but it was a situation that could happen and it looks like it is going to happen.

On Trey Nyoni's role within the squad...

I'm very happy with Trey. Very, very happy. He has been very good in pre-season. Not only in the games, even when he trains with us, he's facing top-level players and he's at the level, so I have no doubts with Trey. He will be very valuable this season for us and I hope he plays a lot and he gives the level that I'm seeing every day [in] training.

On the possibility of using Gakpo in the central striking position this season...

Yes, I think Cody can play as a number nine. Probably in pre-season we haven't tried it because we don't have enough wingers and we've prioritised that he understands what we need from him from his preferred position as a left winger. But I've been talking to him about his minutes as a nine, not only past seasons because he's done it before, and in certain situations I think he could help us there in the nine position.

• Stats: Potential milestones for four Liverpool players against Newcastle United