One in, one out? 

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Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has already swooped to sign Victor Muñoz from Osasuna in a deal worth €40 million. Now, the Spaniard is eyeing a possible raid on his former club Rayo Vallecano for their full-back Andrei Rațiu. The Romania international has been one of the finest performers for the LaLiga outfit on their way to the UEFA Conference Final before losing to Crystal Palace.

The 28-year-old could offer a low-cost option to resolving their right-back problem, which was arguably the biggest issue that Arne Slot failed to solve in his two-year period at Anfield. His pace and stamina would be an ideal fit for the frenetic nature of the Premier League, while Iraola also places emphasis on pressing and sprinting on and off the ball.

Following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid in June 2025, Liverpool have struggled to find a long-term replacement for their former club icon. Slot brought in Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen to fill the void. But his limitations in defensive areas were evident, and Slot didn’t take long before he dropped him to the bench.

Academy product Conor Bradley deputised and impressed for a short period before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Slot was then forced to experiment with Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai taking turns in the role as Joe Gomez was also sidelined. Even if it wasn’t directly responsible for Liverpool’s form falling off, it certainly contributed to the problems that Slot had to deal with.

It forced Slot to play one of Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai in the position, which kept the pair out of their best role on the pitch, thus impacting their strength in midfield areas. Jones was reported to be unhappy playing out of position, while Szoboszlai was shift back into midfield due to his effectiveness in that position. Signing Ratiu, something of a late bloomer after breaking through at Huesca in 2021 before joining Rayo, might offer a solution for Iraola going into next season.

Liverpool annoyed in Curtis Jones talks

The new head coach, who left Bournemouth after a successful three-year stint to sign on at Anfield until 2028, is looking to bolster his squad with the expectation that he loses Jones this summer. The 25-year-old’s deal expires next summer and Liverpool are looking to cash in, with their demands set at around €35 million. However, talks have been ongoing with Inter Milan for several weeks without a positive conclusion.

The Serie A club are only willing to offer a package worth €25 million for Jones, and according to multiple media reports, there is no agreement between the clubs at this stage. In fact, Inter’s conduct in negotiations has left their English counterparts ‘annoyed’ due to the perceived low offers that have been submitted. If Liverpool do manage to extract their full asking price for Jones, it could be devoted towards signing a defender.

As is the case with every LaLiga player due to Spanish employment laws, Ratiu has a release clause which is said to be worth around €25 million. That’s not far above the player’s €18 million market value and Liverpool may view it as a sound investment if they can even negotiate a fee lower than his buyout. It may not be the last time Iraola dips into the LaLiga market to find talent at a reasonable price, with Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo also said to be on their shortlist.