Liverpool transfers: How 3-2 Monaco defeat exposed the signings Andoni Iraola's Reds need before Premier League start

Liverpool are set to announce the signing of Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan deal, following their 3-2 friendly defeat against Monaco on Sunday.

The Reds were playing their first match at Anfield under new manager Andoni Iraola, and it would be fair to say that their performance was far from impressive, especially in defence.

Araujo's arrival could ease the Merseysiders' defensive injury crisis, but there remain a number of gaps in the club's squad, many of which were exposed this weekend.

If Liverpool are to compete at the top end of the Premier League in 2026-27, then they need to address the personnel issues in the XI by backing Iraola's plans in the market.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the summer transfer business that Liverpool must complete before the window closes at the end of August in order to bring silverware back to Anfield.

Liverpool 3-2 Monaco: What happened in Andoni Iraola's first Anfield game?

The Reds returned from their pre-season tour of the United States to play their first preparatory friendly at Anfield on Sunday, welcoming Ligue 1 giants Monaco to Merseyside.

Liverpool made a strong start to the contest, applying the pressure that Iraola's playstyle demands from his squad, and finding a breakthrough thanks to a composed finish from £125m striker Alexander Isak with a little over 15 minutes on the clock.

Fellow nine-figure signing Florian Wirtz doubled the hosts' lead within half an hour, having shown signs of a burgeoning partnership with Isak, who also laid claim to the strike following a goalmouth scramble.

However, Liverpool were cut open by Monaco shortly before the interval, leading to captain Virgil van Dijk - who was making his first appearance of pre-season - giving away a penalty, which was confidently converted by Aleksandr Golovin.

The Reds' defensive frailty was put on display once again when Mika Biereth levelled the game for Les Monegasques, who capitalised on a poor touch from Ryan Gravenberch and the confusion after a close-range save from Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Around the hour mark, Iraola made six substitutions, bringing on the likes of Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni and summer signing Victor Munoz, but things went from bad to worse as Liverpool failed to regain control of the match.

Twenty-year-old Paris Brunner secured the win for Monaco two minutes from time, getting ahead of Milos Kerkez and Federico Chiesa to head home a simple corner at the near post.

Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye: Can PSG duo fix Liverpool's attack?

The number one target linked with Liverpool this summer has been Paris Saint-Germain and France winger Bradley Barcola.

Expected to cost upwards of £110m, the 23-year-old would help the Reds to offset the impact of losing Mohamed Salah at the end of the 2025-26 season, as well as the Achilles injury to Hugo Ekitike.

That being said, it would be impossible to replace the 'Egyptian King' with a single player, given the staggering number of records that he broke during his nine years at Anfield.

With that in mind, Iraola's side are said to hold an interest in Barcola's PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye, as part of a plan to fundamentally restructure the attack for a new era.

Those ambitions of a double swoop will become more likely to materialise should Cody Gakpo depart for Tottenham Hotspur, with the Londoners reportedly keen on the Dutchman.

Barcola and Mbaye would given Liverpool a significant boost out wide, where their first-team options are currently limited to 17-year-old Ngumoha, new arrival Munoz and transfer-linked Gakpo.

That scarcity of high-level attacking players has been a feature of the Reds' pre-season, which has often seen the club drop off significantly when substitutes are made, as was the case against Monaco on Sunday.

Liverpool's midfield problems: Is Ryan Gravenberch enough?

Another glaring issue is Liverpool's midfield, which has lacked a specialist defensive midfielder since Fabinho's exit in the summer of 2023.

Gravenberch operated in the number six role under Arne Slot, but the former Bayern Munich and Ajax star has struggled with his defensive responsibilities for some time, despite initial success in the former manager's setup.

Likewise, Gravenberch is often criticised for his lack of progressive passing, a feature that is sorely lacking in Liverpool's midfield when Curtis Jones is unavailable, as was the case against Monaco.

That being said, Jones himself has been heavily linked with a transfer to Inter Milan this summer, and if the Reds are to balance the squad, then the addition of a defensive midfielder that is also a capable passer should be a priority.