Liverpool Targets Andrei Rațiu for Right-Back Rebuild

Liverpool’s search for stability on the right of their defence has turned towards Spain, with the club reportedly preparing an opening bid for Rayo Vallecano defender Andrei Rațiu in the upcoming summer window.

Andoni Iraola, already backed with funds to bring in Victor Munoz from Osasuna, is set to raid La Liga again as he looks to harden a back line that buckled too often last season. The target this time is a player many in Spain regard as one of the league’s quiet success stories.

An underrated pillar in La Liga

Rațiu, 28, has built a reputation in Madrid as a relentless, dependable right-back. Since joining Rayo three years ago, he has made 102 appearances in the Spanish top flight, rarely grabbing headlines but consistently delivering the kind of performances coaches trust and opponents respect.

At Vallecano, he has been a cornerstone in a side that punched above its weight, none more so than in their run to the UEFA Conference League final earlier this year, where they fell to Crystal Palace. His efforts at club level have been mirrored on the international stage: Rațiu has 38 caps for Romania and has previously been named Romanian Footballer of the Year.

That blend of experience and durability is exactly what Iraola wants. According to SportsBoom, Liverpool still view Jeremie Frimpong as their first-choice right-back for next season, but the manager is pushing for a genuine challenger, not just cover. Rațiu, in his eyes, is ready for the jump to the Premier League.

Where that leaves academy graduate Conor Bradley is unclear. His development remains a point of pride at Anfield, yet the pressure to avoid another defensive patchwork season is driving a more ruthless approach in recruitment.

Tough negotiators, long contract

Liverpool know this will not be a bargain hunt. Vallecano, strengthened by Rațiu’s contract situation, are expected to demand around £25 million for the defender and are in a strong position to hold their line.

Rațiu only signed a new long-term deal with the club in November 2025, tying him down for another four years. That security gives Rayo leverage in any talks, but Liverpool are said to be confident they can find common ground, likely by structuring an offer with sizeable add-ons to tempt the Spanish side into doing business.

For Iraola, it is about value as much as cost. He reportedly believes Rațiu offers the right balance of price, pedigree, and readiness to play regularly in a squad that will be stretched across multiple competitions.

Repairing a problem position

Right-back has become a fault line for Liverpool. The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid at the end of his contract left a void the club never truly filled. Arne Slot, hampered by injuries to both Frimpong and Bradley, was forced into short-term fixes that carried a heavy long-term price.

Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai were both pushed into auxiliary right-back roles at various points, a tactical compromise that stripped Liverpool’s midfield of two key central options. The reshuffle disrupted rhythm, weakened control, and contributed to a season that unravelled faster than anyone at Anfield anticipated.

No one inside the club needs reminding of that. It is why, in his first summer at Anfield, Iraola is understood to have placed the right side of defence near the top of his to-do list. Rațiu is emerging as a central part of that plan.

Jacquet and Leoni close to return

While the focus turns to Rațiu, Liverpool’s defensive picture is shifting elsewhere too. The club will confirm another addition next week when Jeremy Jacquet completes his £55 million move to Merseyside.

The French defender agreed to leave Rennes on deadline day of the winter window, with all parties accepting he would finish the season in Ligue 1 before heading to the Premier League. That delayed arrival looked complicated when Jacquet suffered a serious shoulder injury shortly after the transfer was announced, but The Athletic reports that his rehabilitation is on schedule. He is expected to be ready for initial pre-season testing early next month.

There is further encouragement at centre-back. Giovanni Leoni, the 19-year-old who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last September, is also understood to be on track for the start of pre-season. He has not played since that night, yet his progress offers a timely boost as Iraola reshapes his defensive options.

Liverpool’s back line, bruised and patched together last year, is being rebuilt piece by piece. If the Rațiu deal can be driven over the line, the right flank could soon look far less like a problem to survive and far more like a platform to build from.