Richard Hughes may be on his way out of Liverpool at the end of the 2026-27 summer transfer window but, that doesn’t mean that he can slack off.

The Englishman still needs to improve the Reds’ team across the board with almost every area of Andoni Iraola’s squad needing an upgrade or two.

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Indeed, some of the Reds’ current players might be able to re-find their form and become important for the Spaniard, but judging by the way that Liverpool played last term, that doesn’t feel all that likely.

Of course, since Iraola plays a different style of football to Arne Slot, that could help Liverpool’s players out, but unless some new faces are brought in, they’re going to be left behind their title rivals.

So, the fact that the Anfield outfit has been handed a boost in their pursuit of one of their long-term targets could end up being massive for the Reds.

Now that Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson have exited L4, Liverpool’s defence is in need of a major rebuild.

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Of course, Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni will both be able to feature this term, which is a huge boost in itself, but since neither of them have ever played a minute of Premier League football, it’s unclear how well they’ll cope with England’s top flight.

At the moment, it feels like Joe Gomez will be the one to start alongside Virgil van Dijk, but when his injury history is taken into account, it’s clear that he is rather unreliable.

So, the fact that Liverpool are being linked with several new defenders, especially centre-backs, is hardly surprising.

But, since the market is so contested and so inflated, it’s unclear who Liverpool could sign. However, thanks to a fresh update from BBC Sport, it feels like one of the Anfield outfit’s long-term targets could finally be an option that Iraola can explore.

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“Chelsea are interested in signing England defender John Stones on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City,” they shared via their Match of the Day X account.

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Maxence Lacroix would be an ideal signing for Liverpool

Although no concrete links have emerged between Maxence Lacroix and Liverpool recently, it’s well-known that the Frenchman is on the Reds’ shortlist.

And, since he’s only 26 years old and already has a couple of seasons’ worth of Premier League experience under his belt, he’d fit straight into Iraola’s starting XI.

In fact, he performed so well for Crystal Palace during the 2025-26 season that Didier Deschamps even called him up to his World Cup squad where he featured in three games.

In the past, the Frenchman has been described as an “amazing” player, and even though he’d probably end up costing around £55 million to prise away from Selhurst Park, it feels like it would be a worthwhile investment, especially since that’s what Liverpool spent on Jacquet.

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There’s obviously no knowing whether Chelsea could end up going for Lacroix and Stones, but if the Blues choose Stones over the 26-year-old, there’s no reason why Liverpool shouldn’t try and get a deal for him over the line.

Here’s hoping that over the next couple of weeks, things start to align and Liverpool start welcoming some new players through the Anfield doors.