Iraola Puts Fernandez Top of Wish List as Liverpool Hunt Midfield Reinforcements

Liverpool's fresh start under Andoni Iraola is gathering pace, with the Basque tactician making his presence felt in the transfer market. The Reds have already secured two recruits since Iraola's arrival from Bournemouth—centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, whose deal was arranged during the winter window but formalised this summer, and Spanish winger Victor Munoz, who arrived for approximately €40m.

Now Iraola has set his sights on a third addition: Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. The Liverpool manager has explicitly requested that the club's hierarchy pursue the Argentine midfielder, with the Anfield decision-makers reportedly mobilising to explore the possibility.

The timing could prove fortuitous. Fernandez's representative Javier Pastore recently signalled the player's openness to a move away from Stamford Bridge, stating: "Today the player is calmly thinking about the national team, he is playing in a World Cup, he is very close to reaching the round of 16. He is only thinking about that and we are looking at possibilities to leave Chelsea, but there is nothing firm or confirmed at any club."

Real Madrid had been mooted as a potential destination, only for the Spanish giants to issue a categorical denial. Their statement left no ambiguity: "In light of the reports and statements that have appeared in recent days regarding an alleged interest from Real Madrid in the player Enzo Fernandez, the club wishes to state that it has not made any effort, either direct or indirect, to sign the aforementioned player and, likewise, has no intention of undertaking such an operation."

With Madrid out of the picture, Liverpool find themselves among the frontrunners alongside Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. According to reports, Iraola believes Fernandez's technical proficiency and range of passing would provide essential qualities to his midfield engine room, particularly in supporting the club's transition-focused approach. Liverpool's management is currently weighing salary structures to formulate an offer capable of meeting Chelsea's valuation while fending off rival clubs.

When pressed on his future following Argentina's 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in World Cup action, Fernandez remained characteristically non-committal: "I'm not thinking about my future right now. I'm here living this moment which is incredible for me and we'll see after the World Cup."

The move comes after what proved to be a testing campaign for Liverpool under Arne Slot, who departed at season's end despite delivering the Premier League title in his first year. Last term's fifth-place finish and Champions League qualification masked a broader decline in performances across all competitions, ultimately prompting the Reds to seek a change in direction.