Andoni Iraola led Liverpool last night to a 4-2 victory over Sunderland in the Premier League for the first time since taking over in the summer.
The Spaniards got off to a perfect start, with goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Luis Koumas securing victory in Nashville.
After the final whistle, the 44-year-old faced the media and challenged his players: “Keep pushing, don’t relax, don’t get comfortable. We have things to improve.”
He will no doubt be happy with his first spell in the team, but will still be keen to strengthen the Reds’ first-team squad in certain areas.
Why Liverpool need a player of Barcola’s caliber this summer
Of Liverpool’s front four, who started with last night’s win over Sunderland, only Rio Ngmoha was part of the first team that finished fifth in the Premier League last season.
Morrison, Harvey Elliott and Will Wright started against the Black Cats, with the average age of the starting front line being just 19 years and two months old.
Mohamed Salah’s departure only highlights the need for additional attacking players, with Bradley Barcola potentially heading to Anfield in the summer.
The French star has been on the Reds’ radar in recent months and has been touted in a deal worth more than £100m for the 2026/27 season.
Bradley Barcola – Ligue 1 statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 people) | tally |
games played | 29 |
goals and assists | 12 |
Pass accuracy | 84% |
An opportunity has arisen | 1.7 |
dribbling success | 41% |
shot taken | 3.4 |
Accuracy of shots on target | 46% |
cross success | 20% |
A move for Iraola, 23, would give the France international the attacking quality he craves, having scored 13 goals and provided eight assists for his teammates.
He continued his fine form into Didier Deschamps’ recent World Cup, scoring three goals in just four starts.
Barcola has also been instrumental in PSG’s back-to-back Champions League wins, something Iraola hopes to emulate during his time on Merseyside.
How Liverpool could sign a bigger talent than Barcola this summer
Barcola is not the only attacking player on Liverpool’s transfer list as FSG look to support their new manager in his first season in charge.
Yann Diomande has been touted as the Reds’ main forward transfer target this summer, but with the Ivorian hoping to move to PSG or Real Madrid, the RB Leipzig star’s move appears to have been written off.
However, other options are being considered for the 2026/27 season, with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior emerging as a surprise target for Iraola.
According to TEAMtalk, the Brazilian’s representative is in fresh transfer talks with the Reds over a potential move to Anfield.
They also claim Arsenal and Manchester City have shown the strongest interest in the 26-year-old, who could be available for a reduced fee as he has one year left on his current contract.
Reportedly valued at £136m in Spain, he has been a consistent star at the top level of European football in recent seasons, winning the Champions League twice.
When compared to Barcola’s stats for the 2025/26 season, Vini Junior outperformed the PSG attacker in a number of key attacking areas.
The Brazilian has managed to achieve an impressive rate of 2.8 successful dribbles per 90, which is almost twice as high as the Frenchman.
These results place him in the top 3% of all attackers in Europe’s top five leagues and could pose a direct threat to Iraola’s attack on Merseyside.
He also managed to culminate in an incredible run in La Liga, as evidenced by his impressive total of 21 goals and assists. This is almost double the number of Barcola.
Vinicius’ record of 2.2 chances created per 90 minutes further highlights his incredible ability in the forward areas, which ranks him in the top 4% of players in Europe’s top five leagues.
Like the Frenchman, he starred at the World Cup and went on to score four goals in five appearances, confirming Rio Ferdinand’s ‘world class’ claim.
There’s no denying that Liverpool will have to spend a little money to sign Vinicius this summer, but this is a move that could lead the club to top-level management for many years to come.
Barcola would also be an upgrade to the options currently available to Iraola, but the signing of the Real Madrid star should see the hierarchy in full force for the summer.
