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Big changes are coming: Richard Hughes wants five wingers

AnfieldWatch · Peter Staunton · 2026-08-19T06:09:43+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Big changes are coming: Richard Hughes wants five wingers One-v-one quality out wide was the stated aim for Liverpool in the summer transfer window. The club managed to conclude an early deal for Victor Munoz - with the 23-year-old Spaniard coming on board for £34m from Osasuna. But Andoni Iraola and Richard Hughes are still a little short in the wide positions. Liverpool want to have five wingers Mohamed Salah leaving has blown a hole in the Reds’ attack with the £400k per week attacker reaching an agreement to sign for Trabzonspor on a free transfer. Liverpool are in need of a starting right winger with Iraola now favouring Jeremie Frimpong as a right-back option. And according to a report on Sky Sports Hughes and Iraola have plenty of work to do before the window closes in a little under two weeks. Because by the end of the summer transfer campaign the 2024/25 Premier League champions want to have FIVE first-team wing options to pick from as well as utilising a promising young player as a rotation option. “Liverpool are planning to have five wingers at the end of the window, with an additional one being a younger player they want to develop,” the report reads. Barcola and Mbaye to be added Right now only two of the five can be said to be set in stone. Rio Ngumoha has emerged as a genuine option for club and country and will be expected to play both sides of the attack next term. Munoz prefers to play on the left but don’t be surprised to see the FIFA World Cup winner pitch up on the right side and even at centre-forward. Beyond those two however and the situation is evolving. Bids may well be heard for Cody Gakpo - who is under contract until 2030 but could be sacrificed in order to generate much-needed transfer funds. Also facing the exit is Federico Chiesa - who has failed to take his chance under Iraola this preseason and is only under contract for another two years. Chiesa and Gakpo facing exits? That would leave Liverpool needing THREE more wingers in order to satisfy the requirement of having five senior options available. Bradley Barcola would take the number up to three - with Paris Saint-Germain holding out for £145m before letting go of the 23-year-old. PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye could also be onboarded with Liverpool said to have agreed personal terms with the young Senegal international. It’s likely that an in-house option - in the shape of Lewis Koumas - could be used in order to bulk out the numbers available and he is the kind of versatile performer who could solve a few problems for Iraola. Could Joshua Abe be the additional winger? And the “additional” place for a young player ripe for development could then go to Joshua Abe. The left-footer is a highly gifted 16-year-old who has been making waves with the youth and academy sides. He was promoted to the first-team training group under Arne Slot and will be called upon for certain fixtures this season after finally agreeing to sign a new contract. Liverpool also have the option of using Florian Wirtz out wide - with Hugo Ekitike coming back into the frame in January. If Harvey Elliott is retained then he too could provide numbers on the right. Either way there is a requirement to get new wingers on board this summer and Richard Hughes is running out of time to do so.