Liverpool transfer news: Why selling Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones could be a huge mistake by Andoni Iraola

Liverpool are set for one of the most pivotal months in their modern history, with the summer transfer window to close on September 1.

The Reds are still short in a number of areas, but while they have been linked with incomings, there has seemingly been more movement regarding outgoings.

Cody Gakpo has most recently been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, while Curtis Jones is thought to be a key target of Inter Milan.

The two players have struggled for consistency and gametime respectively, but selling both with such little time left in the window could be dangerous ahead of the new Premier League season.

Here, Sports Mole explains why Andoni Iraola could soon be facing a significant crisis within his squad.

Liverpool transfer news: Exits without adequate replacements

Liverpool's turbulent 2025-26 has been followed by a turbulent summer, with Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Andrew Robertson all leaving for free.

Robertson had already been replaced in the lineup by Milos Kerkez, and the return of Kostas Tsimikas from his loan at Roma means the Reds should be fine in terms of depth on that side of the pitch.

However, while Konate was replaced by Jeremy Jacquet, the Frenchman is only 21 and is still struggling with fitness issues heading into the new season.

Throwing him into the XI against Newcastle United in gameweek one would be risky, but Iraola may not have any choice but to use him on August 23 at St James' Park because of other problems in the backline.

Giovanni Leoni is still returning to fitness, and though he could be a key figure for Liverpool, he is only 19 and cannot be expected to replace the impact of Konate.

Veteran Joe Gomez picked up an injury during pre-season and is not scheduled to return for at least a month, and that leaves Virgil van Dijk as the only senior centre-back at Anfield without any injury worries.

The addition of a defender should be seen as a priority, preferably one that can play as both a centre-back and right-back given Conor Bradley is still a long way from returning from his own injury.

Salah is yet to truly be replaced, as while the club signed Victor Munoz, the winger has predominantly played on the left side of attack.

Bradley Barcola has been strongly linked with Liverpool, though he too prefers to play on the left, and his arrival would almost certainly force either Munoz or Rio Ngumoha onto the right flank.

While there are some positional issues with Barcola, his signing would at least give Iraola five players for three positions in the frontline, but the Paris Saint-Germain star has not yet completed a move to Anfield.

Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo: Too much work to do in one summer

Jones only has a year left on his contract, and given he has ambitions of starting regularly, it is understandable that he would seek a move away.

Selling him would prevent the club losing a fee upon the expiry of his contract, but the Reds arguably needed a midfielder anyway, and losing Jones would necessitate the signing of someone in that area.

Trey Nyoni could take up some minutes in the middle of the pitch, but he is only 19 and cannot be expected to be the solution to all of Liverpool's problems.

While Iraola has spoken positively about Jones during his short time in charge of the Merseysiders, the 25-year-old's performances in pre-season have not been particularly encouraging so far.

An argument with Dominik Szoboszlai and Tsimikas after the club's win against Wrexham on Thursday went viral, and some fans have suggested that the boyhood fan has become disillusioned by life at the club.

It may be better to move Jones on, but trying to find an adequate replacement at this stage of the window could be difficult, especially if Inter Milan are unable to complete a deal in the near future.

Gakpo has frequently been criticised by fans for failing to impact games when given more responsibility on the ball, though a return of 50 goals and 21 assists in 180 games (127 starts) is by no means poor.

The 27-year-old may ultimately never be good enough to be a guaranteed started at Anfield, but he has shown his value as a squad option in the past.

Whether the Dutchman would be willing to play as a backup remains to be seen, and his possible exit to Tottenham would raise serious concerns.

Liverpool are yet to sign Barcola, and selling Gakpo would require the club to sign a replacement, a potentially costly endeavour.

The Reds could also need several other players if they are to compete for the title, and being forced to replace another member of their squad could be detrimental considering the short time remaining in the transfer window.