Liverpool's centre-back crisis has been thrown into sharp relief during pre-season, with head coach Andoni Iraola under mounting pressure to bring in experienced defensive reinforcements before the campaign begins.

Joe Gomez was forced off in the 8th minute of Liverpool's opening pre-season fixture against Sunderland, leaving Virgil van Dijk as the club's only fit senior centre-back. With Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni both unavailable through injury, the teenage pair of Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe — signed for a combined £3.5m following their performances at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last November — completed the bulk of the match at the heart of Liverpool's defence.

A squad dangerously light at the back

Even before Gomez's latest setback, Iraola had described his squad as "very thin" defensively. The extent of the Englishman's injury remains unclear — he was absent from training in Chicago on Sunday — but the broader picture is alarming regardless. Since joining Liverpool from Charlton in 2015, Gomez has missed 225 games due to injury, according to Transfermarkt.

Van Dijk, the club captain, is 35 years old, played every minute of last season's Premier League campaign, and is into the final year of his contract at Anfield. Like Gomez, he could depart next summer. Van Dijk remains a commanding presence, but he is no longer the dominant force of his peak years.

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, speaking to BBC Sport in New York ahead of the club's friendly against Wrexham, was candid about the situation. "We need players. It's fairly obvious," he said. "I'm very sad for Joe Gomez, who has been so unfortunate with injuries. This could have been a real chance to cement his place."

Young talent in abundance, experience in short supply

Between last summer and January 2026, Liverpool agreed deals for five centre-backs aged 20 or under at the time: Leoni, Ndiaye, Ndukwe, Noah Adekoya, and Jacquet. The club parted ways with Ibrahima Konate, allowing him to join Real Madrid on a free transfer, partly because they viewed Jacquet — signed for £60m — and Leoni — signed for £26m — as among the best young centre-backs in France and Italy respectively.

Jacquet is in line to make his debut against Leeds United on Sunday, and Liverpool will back both him and Leoni to develop into elite defenders. But neither is the finished article. Ndukwe, who impressed against Sunderland, must go out on loan this season as he does not yet meet the criteria for a UK work permit.

Fowler stressed the value of experience within a squad. "You need that mentality and I think that has a real knock-on effect on standards," he said. "I would not be surprised if another centre-half is in that conversation."

Financial constraints and transfer priorities

Liverpool's spending this window is not unlimited. If the club complete a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola — valued at more than £100m by PSG — sources indicate that further significant investment elsewhere will be constrained. Deals for Jacquet and Victor Munoz have already cost a combined £94.5m, and this summer's activity is expected to fall well short of the club-record £450m spent last summer.

Liverpool retain a buyback clause for Jarell Quansah, who joined Bayer Leverkusen for £35m last July, but there are no current plans to exercise it. Their failure to seal a deal for Marc Guehi last summer looks increasingly costly in hindsight.

The long-term defensive picture at Anfield is encouraging. The immediate reality, however, demands urgent action.