Iraola hands four fringe Liverpool players a fresh start with 'new signings' vow

Andoni Iraola’s arrival as Liverpool manager has opened the door for several players who found themselves on the periphery under Arne Slot, with the Spaniard making clear he is approaching his entire squad without preconceptions.

“For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings,” Iraola said shortly after being confirmed as Slot’s replacement. “We have a lot of quality in our squad and [I’m] really looking forward to working with them.”

The 43-year-old built a strong reputation during three years at Bournemouth, guiding the Cherries to sixth place last season and their first-ever European campaign. His track record of developing overlooked talent — Dean Huijsen, Antoine Semenyo and Eli Junior Kroupi among them — has raised hopes among Liverpool’s fringe players that they can earn a genuine opportunity under the new regime.

Harvey Elliott is perhaps the most prominent beneficiary of a fresh start. The 23-year-old returned from a loan spell at Aston Villa having made just nine appearances, with Unai Emery’s side declining to trigger the £35 million purchase clause. A year on from being named Player of the Tournament at the Under-21 European Championship, Elliott finds himself at a career crossroads, his playing time having already diminished during Slot’s debut season before the Villa move.

Kostas Tsimikas could offer Iraola an immediate solution at left-back following Andy Robertson’s departure this summer. The 30-year-old spent last season on loan at Roma, making 25 appearances, but still has a year remaining on his Liverpool contract. While Milos Kerkez — who spent two seasons working under Iraola at Bournemouth before his move to Anfield — is expected to be first choice, Tsimikas could slot back into a familiar deputy role.

James McConnell is another midfielder whose path back to Liverpool has become more plausible under the new management. The promising youngster joined Ajax last summer but struggled to establish himself with the Dutch club, leaving his long-term future at Anfield unresolved.

Iraola’s philosophy of treating every player as a blank slate carries particular weight for those who felt their chances had run out. Whether the new manager’s open-door approach translates into meaningful minutes for the club’s overlooked names will become clearer once pre-season begins.