Liverpool Face Right Back Questions After Free Transfer and Chelsea Deal 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool are still seeking a new right‑back as pre‑season begins, but their most‑watched options have moved elsewhere.
• Denzel Dumfries joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan after interest appeared to be shelved following the sacking of Arne Slot.
• Givairo Read, a Feyenoord youngster, is now prioritised by Nottingham Forest, who have already had a £22m bid rejected.
• Marco Palestra has signed for Chelsea in a deal worth up to £47 million after being linked to Liverpool.
• Michael Kayode and Pedro Porro have both signed new long‑term contracts with Brentford and Tottenham respectively, ending Liverpool hopes.
• Oscar Mingueza, once tipped for a free transfer to Anfield, instead completed a move to Crystal Palace.
• Liverpool’s last signing was Victor Munoz on 18 June, with Jeremy Jacquet arriving from Rennes on 1 July for £60 million.
• Sporting director Richard Hughes has faced frustration from supporters over the slow pace of business, though it was acknowledged that Andoni Iraola would first assess the existing squad.
• For pre‑season, Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez will be Iraola’s principal right‑back options, while Conor Bradley is out with a long‑term knee injury.
• Calvin Ramsay, Isaac Mabaya and DJ Esdaille are among academy players who could be promoted as potential right‑back reinforcements.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) July 10, 2026 – It is expected to sign a new right‑back this summer, but their options appear to be dwindling as high‑profile candidates continue to land elsewhere. As reported by Andy Hunter of The Guardian and journalist David Lynch, the club’s recruitment team were “scouring the market” having “learned lessons” from a campaign which saw Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones regularly used out of position.

But days before pre‑season begins at the AXA Training Centre, it is no clearer where Liverpool will look for their new addition. Multiple names that had been closely associated with Liverpool have now moved on, narrowing the pool of obvious targets and leaving the club with fewer clear paths to secure a long‑term partner or competitor for Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.

Which Right‑Backs Have Liverpool Already Missed Out On?

There was known interest in Denzel Dumfries, but that appears to have been shelved following the sacking of countryman Arne Slot, paving the way for the Netherlands international’s move from Inter Milan to Real Madrid, as reported by David Lynch in his Substack.

Another Dutchman, Feyenoord youngster Givairo Read, was also linked throughout Slot’s reign but is now on the radar of Nottingham Forest, who saw a £22 million bid rejected this week, according to Lynch’s reporting.

Marco Palestra was also touted with a switch to uk/local/anfield/">Anfield but has since joined Chelsea in a deal worth up to £47 million, as confirmed by multiple sources including Lynch’s Substack.

There were sections of the support who had also hoped for the arrivals of Michael Kayode or Pedro Porro, but the pair have now signed new long‑term contracts with Brentford and Tottenham respectively, ruling them out of Liverpool’s transfer plans.

Finally, Spaniard Oscar Mingueza was tipped to join on a free transfer from Celta Vigo, but Thursday saw him instead make the move to Crystal Palace, ending hopes of a simple free‑agent addition.

While that does not leave the right‑back pool completely empty, it certainly reduces the obvious candidates available to Liverpool as they seek competition for Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, as noted by Lynch in his analysis of Liverpool’s recruitment strategy.

How Has Liverpool’s Transfer Activity Looked So Far?

Liverpool haven’t signed a player since June 18, with Victor Munoz’s £34.5 million move from Osasuna almost a month ago being the last addition to the squad. Ex‑Osasuna winger Munoz is one of only two new arrivals at Anfield so far this summer, with Jeremy Jacquet formally completing his £60 million move from Rennes on July 1, as reported by David Lynch.

This has left many supporters frustrated with a perceived lack of impetus from sporting director Richard Hughes, though it was acknowledged that Andoni Iraola would first look to assess the squad already available to him, according to Lynch’s reporting on Liverpool’s transfer planning.

As it stands, Frimpong and Joe Gomez will be Iraola’s principle right‑back options throughout pre‑season, with Bradley still out with a long‑term knee injury. The situation means that the club must decide whether to act quickly in the coming weeks or rely more heavily on internal options.

What Internal Options Could Liverpool Use?

Calvin Ramsay, Isaac Mabaya and DJ Esdaille are among those who could be promoted from the academy ranks, according to Lynch’s outline of Liverpool’s possible right‑back options.

Recent reports from Liverpool Echo indicate that Calvin Ramsay is looking to push on after a frustrating three years following his move to Liverpool in 2022, and that he is ready to step up after Conor Bradley’s injury. His pre‑season return with the under‑21s has been described as indicative of Liverpool’s future approach, with the club seemingly willing to evaluate internal options before committing to major external targets.

How Could This Develop for Liverpool’s Right‑Back Situation?

Liverpool’s right‑back search remains open but increasingly constrained, with the club now facing a choice between a late‑market signing, a promotion from within, or a more flexible squad solution such as a loan. The lack of confirmed additions since mid‑June, combined with the departure of several named targets, increases the pressure on Iraola and Hughes to define a clear strategy before pre‑season friendlies begin.

Background: Liverpool’s Right‑Back Situation and Recent Developments

Liverpool’s right‑back planning has been shaped by a combination of tactical lessons, managerial changes, and a shifting transfer market. Reports from The Guardian and David Lynch’s Substack have highlighted that the club’s recruitment team specifically “learned lessons” from a campaign in which players like Szoboszlai and Jones were repeatedly used out of position, prompting a desire for a natural right‑back to provide stability and balance.

The sacking of Arne Slot, who had a Dutch network and particular interest in players such as Dumfries and Read, altered Liverpool’s approach and opened the door for those players to move to other clubs, including Real Madrid and Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Marco Palestra’s £47 million move to Chelsea removed a potential free‑agent or lower‑cost option, while long‑term contracts for Kayode and Porro, and Mingueza’s move to Crystal Palace, further narrowed the accessible market.

With only Munoz and Jacquet arriving since mid‑June, criticism has grown around the pace of transactions under Richard Hughes, even though the club’s position was that Iraola would first assess the existing squad. The injury to Conor Bradley, a key young right‑back, has intensified the need for either a reliable backup or a direct competitor, making the right‑back position one of the most watched areas of Liverpool’s summer planning.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Liverpool Fans and Players

This evolving situation can affect Liverpool fans by increasing anxiety around the club’s transfer activity and pre‑season preparations, particularly if no right‑back is signed before the first competitive games. Supporters who have been hoping for a clear, impactful addition may feel that the delay reflects caution or indecision, potentially leading to more vocal criticism of the recruitment team and management on social media and in fan forums.

For players, the uncertainty means that Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez could face a heavier right‑back burden in pre‑season and early fixtures, while younger options like Calvin Ramsay, Isaac Mabaya and DJ Esdaille may be given more prominent training opportunities and potential cup appearances. If Liverpool fail to sign a new right‑back quickly, internal promotions could become a more permanent part of the squad plan, reshaping expectations for academy players and changing the long‑term defensive structure at Anfield.