With just a month to go until the World Cup ends and the Premier League resumes, Liverpool will be desperate to return as title contenders.
Andoni Iraola is looking forward to his new job as Liverpool’s head coach and has been tasked with restoring a ‘rock’n’roll’ mood to Anfield after such a dismal and declining experience under Arne Slott.
Liverpool have not yet dominated the transfer market as much as they did last year, but FSG have already strengthened their squad with Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Muñoz, and they are keen to further strengthen their squad.
Muñoz is a dynamic and flashy winger, and there are hopes that perhaps he will bring back something like Luis Diaz to Liverpool’s front line, which was rather stagnant in his absence last year.
Why Liverpool sold Luis Dias
Hindsight is a scary thing, and sometimes we have to look at our mistakes through the lens. For Liverpool, the decision to sell Dias and the subsequent decision not to trade him for a comparable winger caused major problems for Slott and others.
Dias, 29, joined Liverpool from Porto in January 2022 in a deal worth £49m and has scored 41 goals and provided 23 assists in 148 games. Although he had never previously reached the same heights as Sadio Mane, there is no doubt that the Colombian was a key cog in the title-winning machine.
Dias has blossomed into a new type of attacker at Bayern. His speed, ability and unwavering strength contribute to his status as a Bundesliga superstar. He has been given more time to prove himself with the German giants, who have become more dominant year after year.
However, he remains a sensation, someone who scored 25 goals in the 2024/25 season as Liverpool gained promotion from the Premier League in the slot. However, he played 51 games for Bayern, scoring 26 goals and providing 23 assists.
Revisionism is a lens through which Díaz’s sell-off can be easily viewed. But Dias is turning 30 and Bayern offered £65.5m to lure him away from Liverpool two years from the end of his contract.
However, the fatal flaw in Slott and FSG’s master plan was that they invested so much time, effort and money into signing Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak without addressing the loss of balance and fluency that Dias provided on the left. Kodi Gakpo has struggled in more important roles.
Now Iraola need to rectify the situation, but they can do so by easing the weight of expectations on the younger Muñoz by signing a global sensation to replace Diaz.
How could Liverpool finally land a replacement for Dias?
Muñoz, who previously won the World Cup with Spain, is relatively inexperienced as he just turned 23. He can play up front, but it would be a bit foolish to expect him to be as high as Dias or Mane from the get-go.
And with that in mind, it is important that FSG keep knocking on the door for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, with TEAMtalk confirming that talks are ongoing for the French forward, but that Manchester United have a vested interest of their own.
The 23-year-old is quickly emerging as one of the world’s most high-profile forwards, with PSG expected to command £128m for his signature this summer. However, whether they stick to that exorbitant number is another matter.
We know a few things about Liverpool. It is understood that FSG consider the Frenchman a top target and that they will not pay more than the £125m fee that brought Isak to Anfield last summer, the record fee in English history. We also know that personal conditions are not an issue for Barcola as he seeks a prominent role in an elite group.
He’s almost there. Although Barcola is primarily a left-sided attacker, he is also comfortable playing on the right, leans more towards the creative side of his game, and is right-footed. According to Liverpool writer Dave Hendrick, this is an up-and-coming “superstar” who could fill the Salah-shaped void for next year and beyond.
Bradley Barcora vs. Luis Diaz at the 2026 World Cup | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | Stagger | Diaz |
Match (start) | 8(4) | 5(5) |
the goal | 3 | 1 |
assist | 1 | 1 |
Number of shots (on target)* | 1.3 (0.6) | 3.8(1.2) |
missed a big opportunity | 1 | 3 |
Exact path* | 13.5 (86%) | 27.6 (85%) |
Opportunities created* | 1.0 | 2.0 |
It was successful. dribble* | 1.6 (59%) | 0.8 (25%) |
Ball recovery rate* | 1.6 | 3.4 |
Def. Donation* | 1.1 | 0.6 |
Win a duel* | 3.1 | 3.4 |
He is still developing, but could be the upgrade to Dias that Liverpool need. Despite playing a key role in the South American team, the former sensation wasn’t at his sharpest in Colombia this summer.
Barcola still has a lot to work on, but he is naturally prolific and has the clinical ability Liverpool need to counter the departure of Mohamed Salah, whose contract expires earlier this month.
In his last two years at PSG, the Les Bleus man has scored 34 goals and provided 28 assists, a key performance in winning back-to-back Champions Leagues, as well as a wealth of domestic silver medals.
Dias may be riding the crest of a wave in Germany, but we know he couldn’t maintain those heights at Liverpool. But Barcola is getting better and better. Six years Dias’ junior, he may be on the cusp of becoming a world-class player, far outclassing Dias at Anfield and indeed cementing his place as Iraora’s talisman.
