Andoni Iraola has four Liverpool players in extra pre-season training after the new manager's 'new signing' claim. With three weeks to go before Liverpool's official pre-season schedule begins, the hard work for those not at the World Cup has been ongoing for some time.
Iraola's Clean Slate Approach
It's a new era at Anfield under Andoni Iraola, and those inside the squad have been listening intently when the former Bournemouth boss spoke of his players all being 'like new signings' earlier this month. This summer offers a clean slate, giving everyone the opportunity to catch Iraola's eye. For senior players not at the World Cup, the next month is a huge chance to put down a marker.
Unsurprisingly, the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Harvey Elliott, Trey Nyoni, and Stefan Bajcetic have been keeping themselves ticking over during warm-weather training.
Jeremie Frimpong's Fitness Regimen
Frimpong, whose maiden season on Merseyside was blighted by muscle injuries, was left out of the Netherlands' World Cup squad due to his struggles under Arne Slot. The versatile right-sided player has been in Los Angeles, California, working with coach Nigus Kidane, founder of the Golden Boot Academy, which specializes in individually-tailored performance plans. Kidane's firm has previously worked with Aston Villa's Leon Bailey, Nottingham Forest's Omari Hutchinson, and Lyon and Belgium midfielder Orel Mangala.
This summer is particularly important for Frimpong. Liverpool are slated to fly out for their US tour on July 20, and alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, Milos Kerkez, and Curtis Jones, Frimpong will be one of the most senior players available to Iraola. With Conor Bradley still recovering from a season-ending injury sustained in a goalless draw with Arsenal in January, there is space in the team for Frimpong if he can convince he is suited to playing at full-back. Under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, the former Celtic speedster was a wing-back and an integral cog in the side that won the Bundesliga title undefeated in the 2022/23 campaign. At Anfield, however, questions about his best position subsided only when he was injured.
Harvey Elliott's Determination
Harvey Elliott enlisted the help of former Tottenham, Aston Villa, and QPR player Scott Chickelday earlier this month to work on his shooting and other elements of his game. Elliott may feel that a year of his career was wasted during an ill-fated loan spell at Villa, where it quickly became apparent that the club had no plans to trigger the £35m agreement by giving him 10 first-team appearances. After failing to break into the side under Arne Slot at Anfield, despite being a regular under previous boss Jurgen Klopp, Elliott has a second chance at his boyhood club and is clearly determined to seize it.
How the versatile former Fulham youngster fares will be one of the subplots of the US tour under Iraola, who has a reputation for developing young attacking players like Eli Junior Kroupi, Rayan, and notably Antoine Semenyo.
Trey Nyoni's Summer Training Camp
Trey Nyoni has also been using a portion of his summer break to keep in shape with a training camp in Morocco, designed to ensure there are no cobwebs to blow away at the Reds' £50m training base next month. This summer is critically important for Nyoni as he looks to take another big stride toward becoming a first-team regular at Liverpool. While many expect Rio Ngumoha to truly take flight as a Liverpool star this coming campaign, Nyoni will want to prove he isn't too far behind his fellow teenager as the England youth international gets further acclimated to the senior ranks. The former Leicester City teen doesn't turn 19 until the end of June.
Stefan Bajcetic's Comeback Trail
Perhaps the most intriguing story among the Liverpool contingent is Stefan Bajcetic, who has been using the club's facilities during June to get fit after an injury-plagued period. A video shot by Steven Halliwell, who filmed Mohamed Salah's address when he announced his impending departure in March, was uploaded onto Bajcetic's social accounts earlier this month with the caption: 'Back on track'. This development whetted the appetite for those who still believe the former Celta Vigo youngster has a role to play at Liverpool, over three years on since he burst onto the scene under Jurgen Klopp.
Bajcetic's press-resistance and ball-playing qualities at the base of the midfield shone for a period as he looked to make good on his potential, having initially arrived as a centre-back for the academy ranks aged 16. However, a career-altering adductor tear in a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth in March 2023 has been debilitating. That game was his 19th as a Reds player, and his tally now, over three years on, stands at just 22. Loan spells with Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas brought mixed results, and Bajcetic has quietly been working behind the scenes at the AXA Training Centre, trying to put a nightmare few years behind him.
If Iraola has few of his big-hitters with him Stateside next month, he at least has a slew of hungry players ready to state their case for inclusion.
