Overview
- Andoni Iraola took charge of his first game as Liverpool head coach in a pre-season friendly against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, July 25, 2026, marking the start of his on-pitch tenure.
- Liverpool travelled to the United States with a heavily depleted squad because many senior players are on post-World Cup breaks or recovering from injury, leaving fringe players and academy prospects to fill starting roles.
- The club has completed only two first-team signings this summer — Jérémy Jacquet and Victor Munoz — with Munoz absent from the US tour as he returns to Merseyside in August.
- Liverpool remain active in the market for wide attackers to replace Mohamed Salah, with reported interest in Yan Diomande, Maghnes Akliouche and Bradley Barcola and strong competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
- Pre-season is being used to install Iraola's trusted backroom team, assess youth and fringe players for first-team roles, and make the friendly available mainly via club streams and ESPN while Sunderland cope with a visa rejection for winger Jocelin Ta Bi.