Andoni Iraola is Liverpool manager and has already handed Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic and Kostas Tsimikas a clearer path back into the first-team picture. The 43-year-old took over earlier this month, and the change arrives after a season in which several squad roles had narrowed.
Iraola said: “For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings,” and added: “For me, you are all new signings and I think we have a lot of quality in our squad, and [I'm] really looking forward to working with them.” That message matters for players who need a reset more than a reminder of where they stood before.
Harvey Elliott under Iraola
Elliott is the clearest case. He made only nine appearances last term for Aston Villa, after his Liverpool minutes had already dropped during Arne Slot’s first year in charge. A year before this article, he was named Player of the Tournament at the U21 Euros, so the task now is less about proving his level than finding the role that gets him back on the pitch often enough for that level to matter.
The financial side underlines how the loan ended without forcing a permanent move. Aston Villa did not meet the terms that would have triggered a £35million obligation for Elliott, leaving Liverpool with a midfielder whose recent record contains both a major youth award and a sharply reduced senior workload.
Bajcetic and Tsimikas
Bajcetic is another player who fits the opening Iraola has created. He last played for Liverpool in May 2024 and has made 19 appearances for the club, with previous loans to Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas already showing how unsettled his route has been. This summer he cut short his break to work on fitness ahead of pre-season, which puts the next selection decisions directly around his condition rather than his name.
Tsimikas brings a different kind of value. With Andy Robertson having exited this summer, he could provide an instant solution at left-back. That leaves Liverpool with a position that already needs filling and a manager who has said he is ready to treat the squad as if they were arriving fresh.
Iraola's recent record
The appointment is not coming from a blank page. Iraola spent three years as Bournemouth manager, finished sixth last season and guided them into their first-ever European campaign. He also developed Dean Huijsen, Antoine Semenyo and Eli Junior Kroupi there, which is why the opening around Elliott, Bajcetic and Tsimikas looks more like a genuine opportunity than a standard change of voice.
Which of the four players mentioned is most likely to regain a regular first-team role under Iraola will become clear in pre-season and then in selection choices. Elliott has the strongest recent pedigree, Bajcetic has the cleanest route back if his fitness holds, and Tsimikas has the most obvious vacancy to attack.
