​Liverpool’s transfer window may still be quiet, but the right-back issue remains one of the clearest squad questions facing Andoni Iraola. On Anfield Index, Trev Downey and Lewis Steele discussed the position, the links to Andrei Ratiu, the wider market and whether Liverpool are likely to move before the window closes. Downey laid out the concern in straightforward terms, arguing that right-back is the standout area where Liverpool need recruitment. His reasoning is simple: Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley have had fitness concerns, while Jeremie Frimpong has not fully convinced as a traditional full-back in a Premier League back four.
Steele agreed with the general point, calling it “a problem area” and noting that the players already there are “injury prone at best.” He added that some may be “not quite up to the level required,” while Frimpong’s first season “didn’t really fill me with too much confidence apart from a couple of games here and there.” That is the key context: Liverpool do not merely need an extra name; they need certainty in a position that has become too fragile.
Downey raised the name of Andrei Ratiu, highlighting the reported €25 million release clause at Rayo Vallecano and the idea that he could offer a more experienced, ready-made solution. Steele remained cautious. “I can’t say the name has really come up in any conversations I’ve had,” he said. He added: “I can’t really say I’ve heard that Liverpool are in for him.” The age profile gave him further pause. On Ratiu being 28, Steele said: “It doesn’t really seem a sort of Liverpool signing to me.” Even when Downey suggested Liverpool might make an exception for a “plug and play” option, Steele replied that it might make sense if the deal was cheap, but “it doesn’t really seem something Liverpool would normally do.”
The discussion then shifted to Givairo Read after reports of Nottingham Forest making a move for the Feyenoord right-back. Downey noted that Read had previously been one of the names “floating around” in a wider basket of Liverpool-linked right-backs. Steele agreed that the market was beginning to move as other clubs became active, and recalled that Read had been linked with Liverpool when Arne Slot first arrived, though he wondered whether that was simply because former-club players are often linked whenever a manager moves.
More importantly, Steele referenced Liverpool’s prior interest in the position. “We know in January that Liverpool tried for Lutsharel Geertruida,” he said, adding that they had also pursued him the previous summer. “So we know they’ve been looking to bolster that position historically and now.” The most telling part of Steele’s response wasn’t a specific name, but the broader indication that Liverpool have been exploring options while keeping their cards close to the vest.
In sum, the right-back situation at Liverpool is characterized by a need for certainty as much as for quantity. The club has historically shown interest in strengthening this area, with past pursuits of players like Geertruida illustrating a long-standing desire to bolster the position. As the window progresses, the market activity around right-back becomes a meaningful barometer for Liverpool’s strategic intent: will they act to add a proven, reliable option, or will they rely on the existing squad and potential fringe options? The conversation among Downey and Steele underscores that the answer may hinge on timing, value, and fit, rather than simply adding another name to a crowded list.