Surprise as Liverpool reject offers; Andoni Iraola wants stars to stay

Liverpool have rejected offers for two stats. They're now going to take up places in Andoni Iraola's first-team squad - and that's a surprise.

Liverpool will lock-in their senior squad tonight as the transfer deadline hits. The Reds have endured a difficult window, failing to land their no.1 target and struggling to shape the squad as they'd like.

In truth, this squad isn't balanced in the slightest. It lacks a solid midfield, has no right-wingers and the only reliable centre-back is 35. Though we hope Jeremy Jacuqet and Ronald Araujo can prove things wrong on that last one.

The other way it's imbalanced? Homegrown talent. Liverpool can only have a certain number of foreign players and they've maxed out that limit. But they lack homegrown players at the senior level, especially after letting Curtis Jones leave without a replacement.

That's led to some surprise decisions about who remains at the club. The Athletic reports that both Lewis Koumas and James McConnell will stay at Liverpool this season.

Both players have offers for loan moves but they've apparently 'impressed' Andoni Iraola. Though, we imagine the most impressive thing about them is their ability to play competently at the top level and be homegrown.

Liverpool could only replace them as squad options if they brought homegrown players in. Those players cost a fortune, though, and so it makes little sense to do a swap.

What an opportunity that is, then. McConnell struggled on loan at Ajax last season, with that deal being cut short. Now he's going to have at least six months with Liverpool to try and get Premier League minutes.

And Koumas? No one saw him as a serious forward option heading into the summer but his pre-season performances turned things around. He's now made his Premier League debut and is essentially the backup striker as things stand.

We didn't see that coming and the belief was that one of Koumas or Federico Chiesa might get a squad place if things went a certain way. As it stands, both will be in the first-team squad.