Liverpool Prepares for Premier League Season Under Andoni Iraola
Liverpool’s new era under Andoni Iraola moved up a gear at the AXA Training Centre, as the Spaniard put a near full squad through its paces with the Premier League kick-off now looming into view.
Just 11 days remain before the trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle on the opening day of the 2026/27 season. Between now and then: two friendlies, both against Como at Anfield on Sunday, and a lot of hard work on the training pitch.
And there was plenty to notice from the latest session.
Araujo steps straight in
All eyes were on Ronald Araujo.
Liverpool’s new center-back, fresh from his move from Barcelona, was straight into the thick of it. Having already come through pre-season with the Catalan club, he arrived with a sharpness that meant there was no easing-in period here.
He trained fully, looked comfortable, and already cut the figure of someone ready to be thrown into action. The plan is clear: Araujo is expected to make his unofficial Liverpool debut in one of the two games against Como, most likely alongside Virgil van Dijk. If that goes smoothly, a Premier League start a week later is firmly on the cards.
He is still learning the surroundings, the voices, the rhythm of a new dressing room. But this is a seasoned international defender. Iraola needs him to adapt quickly. All signs from this session suggested he will.
Defensive options taking shape
Araujo wasn’t the only notable defensive presence.
Jeremy Jacquet, who has yet to feature in any pre-season match, was back out on the grass with the group. The French defender had been edging closer to a return during the US tour, and Iraola had hinted last weekend that the Como fixtures could mark his first minutes of the summer.
That remains the target. His involvement in this session was an important step towards that.
Not everyone is back yet, though. Giovanni Leoni and Stefan Bajcetic were confined to exercise bikes on the side, watching on as the main group worked. Both remain some way off a full return and may need a few more weeks before Iraola can call on them properly.
For a manager still shaping his back line, every body counts. Jacquet’s presence helps. The continued absence of Leoni and Bajcetic is a reminder that this squad is not yet at full strength.
Curtis Jones back in the mix
There was better news in midfield.
Curtis Jones, who missed the Anfield defeat to AS Monaco with a minor issue, returned to full training and looked ready to push for minutes against Como. His reappearance is timely.
The 25-year-old remains on the radar of Inter Milan, but the Serie A club has yet to submit an offer Liverpool considers acceptable. Iraola has already been clear: he wants Jones to stay. The complication is the clock. Jones’ contract runs out next summer, and every day without a resolution sharpens the decision facing the club.
For now, though, he is part of Iraola’s plans and back in the thick of preparations.
Iraola’s window to work
The wider picture is one of urgency, but not panic.
Liverpool still has work to do in the transfer market, and Iraola knows it. He does, however, now have almost a full group available, with Alexis Mac Allister back from his post-World Cup break and the core of the squad on the training ground.
They are not alone in needing fine-tuning. Across the league, squads are being reshaped, with even Manchester City changing managers. Nobody looks the finished article yet.
That gives Iraola a narrow but valuable window. He will have full training weeks at the start of the campaign before the schedule tightens after the first international break, when two games a week will become the norm.
For now, the work is detailed, intense, and deliberate. A new center-back bedding in, a young defender edging back, a key midfielder returning, transfer questions still hanging in the air.
Newcastle away is coming fast. The question is whether these sessions at Kirkby can turn promising pieces into a team ready to hit the ground running.
