Liverpool transfer news: £12m defender set to 'fight' for place under Andoni Iraola as Virgil van Dijk faces backline crisis

Left-back Kostas Tsimikas wants to fight for his place in the Liverpool squad following Andrew Robertson's exit, the newest report has revealed.

Summer 2026 is set to be one of the most important periods in the Reds' modern history, with the decision to sack Arne Slot on Saturday likely to have huge ramifications on the transfer window.

Andoni Iraola is expected to take charge of the Merseysiders, and his ideal targets could contrast significantly with Slot's.

The Spaniard will also want the chance to assess the players currently in the squad, especially after the exits of players like Andrew Robertson.

Transfer journalist Ben Jacobs reports that left-back Kostas Tsimikas is aiming to fight for his place now that Robertson has left Liverpool, and perhaps the arrival of Iraola could help reignite his career at Anfield.

Why Liverpool may have to accept Kostas Tsimikas return

Since signing for Liverpool from Olympiacos in 2020 for a fee of just under £12m, Tsimikas has not consistently proven that he is capable of contributing at the highest level, but bringing him in as a backup to Milos Kerkez may make sense given the amount of work Liverpool have to do in other areas.

Mohamed Salah has left the club, striker Hugo Ekitike is set to miss most of next season and winger Rio Ngumoha is only 17, so bringing in two forwards could be necessary.

The decline of Alexis Mac Allister and the inconsistencies of Ryan Gravenberch in midfield may force the Merseysiders to sign at least one starter in the middle of the pitch, though Curtis Jones's potential exit would leave the team short in that area.

If Andoni Iraola takes charge of the Reds, he will need the club to make several additions in the summer transfer window, especially if the team have ambitions of challenging for the title.

Liverpool's defensive crisis: Virgil van Dijk in trouble?

News that Alisson Becker is set to stay at Anfield will come as welcome relief to Liverpool's hierarchy as his exit would likely have necessitated the arrival of a goalkeeper.

Despite the fact the Brazilian is set to stay, Liverpool's defence next season could still be considerably different to the one that started the 2025-26 Premier League campaign given Ibrahima Konate has confirmed his Anfield departure.

The centre-back joins left-back Robertson through the exit doors, but right-back Conor Bradley could miss a significant period of next season because of a knee injury.

Captain Virgil van Dijk will be 35 by the time 2026-27 begins, and asking him to marshal a backline with potentially two fresh faces could be challenging.

A slow start to 2026-27 could be enough to cost Liverpool the chance of taking the title from Arsenal, and failure to protect Van Dijk may lead to his remaining time on Merseyside being wasted.