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, 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 in recent weeks 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 suffered by Hugo Ekitike.

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

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

An ambitious double swoop is likely to materialise should Cody Gakpo depart for Tottenham Hotspur, with the Londoners reportedly keen on the Dutchman.

Barcola and Mbaye would give 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 side 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 the centre of the park when Curtis Jones is unavailable, as was the case against Les Monegasques.

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.

Ronald Araujo transfer: Liverpool's centre-back or right-back?

Liverpool lost first-choice right-back Conor Bradley to a major knee injury against Arsenal back in January, and he is expected to be sidelined for a significant part of the 2026-27 campaign.

As a result, Iraola has been left with Jeremie Frimpong and Calvin Ramsay as his most-likely options on the right side of defence, but the former is a natural wing-back, while the latter failed to break through under both Jurgen Klopp and Slot.

With that in mind, it would be fair to say that right-back is a position that Iraola will be keen to strengthen, a factor that may have made Araujo's versatility an attractive proposition.

The 27-year-old is predominantly a centre-half, but he was often deployed on the right-hand side of the defence at Barcelona, especially when faced with elite wingers such as Vinicius Junior in El Clasico showdowns.

With a dearth of available right-backs on the market - reported Liverpool target Michael Kayode penned a new six-year contract with Brentford in July - it would not be a surprise to see Araujo line up in his auxiliary position at times in 2026-27.

However, the Reds are sure to be on standby should a market opportunity present itself in the final few weeks of the transfer window.