Ruthless Iraola tipped to boot SEVEN Liverpool stars out in major Reds squad shake-up

New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is poised to get tough with his under-performing squad and has identified up to seven stars he is open to selling this summer as he looks to improve from the malaise that set in under his predecessor Arne Slot, while a report claims another unhappy Reds star has surprisingly asked to leave.

The Reds wasted little time in moving on from the sacked Slot, who fell on his sword on Saturday after an end-of-season review in the wake of a dismal campaign that had seen Liverpool scrape to a fifth-placed finish.

And with Iraola confirmed as his successor on Thursday evening, the Basque tactician signing a two-year deal at Anfield, planning for the season ahead is already well underway.

Indeed, our correspondent Graeme Bailey revealed on Thursday, having confirmed a deal for Iraola was fully done, that the 43-year-old and sporting director Richard Hughes were aligned in what needs to be done this summer, with five major signings on the agenda.

However, to make room for the new broom, there will inevitably need to be some major sacrifices, and Liverpool.com has named seven stars likely to be shown the door by the ruthless new Reds boss.

Per their information, both Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister will be sacrificed in midfield; the former owing to his contract situation which now has 12 months left to run and this summer seen as the last chance to cash in on him; the latter paying the price for a dismal season on a personal level and with the Argentine not seen as having the physicality and engine needed to thrive in an Iraola team.

There will also be no place for the returning Harvey Elliott, so cruelly treated after a wasted season on loan at Aston Villa, while Wataru Endo could also find himself put up for sale.

In goal, it claims one of Alisson Becker or Giorgi Mamardashvili will be allowed to leave, though with sources informing TEAMtalk that the Brazilian will stay, another season out on loan could now beckon for the towering Georgian.

We exclusively revealed back in March that several sides were ready to make a move for the former Valencia man.

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Big changes coming to the Liverpool attack, as star asks to leave

It’s reported the Reds could also allow defender Joe Gomez to leave this summer, with just a year left on his deal. However, with Ibrahima Konate also having left at the end of his deal, the Reds would need to sign at least one, and potentially two, replacements there.

However, perhaps the biggest changes will come in attack. The Reds have already waved farewell to Mohamed Salah, while Federico Chiesa is another the report claims could be allowed to leave.

An opportunistic signing from Juventus in summer 2024, Chiesa has endured a frustrating two-year spell at Anfield and a return to Serie A beckons.

In addition to that, a report in the Netherlands on Thursday also claimed Cody Gakpo is to ‘submit a transfer request’ as he ‘does not see a future at Anfield without Slot’.

The winger endured a difficult season, with his form falling off a cliff, though he was far from the only one, and with several pundits and fans having questioned Slot’s refusal to remove him from the side.

With Rio Ngumoha pushing for more game-time and with Liverpool well in the hunt to sign Yan Diomande, it’s suggested the Reds could allow Gakpo to leave if the price is right and to help with their squad rebuild.

In terms of Diomande, David Ornstein has revealed that the Reds are well advanced in a move to make the RB Leipzig teenager the third biggest signing in their history.

In defence, we exclusively revealed on Thursday that Liverpool are one of three Premier League sides taking an interest in a Burnley star in what would be one of the more surprising moves of the summer.