Liverpool may be rushing to sign Paris Saint-Germain attacker Bradley Barcola, but FSG cannot escape the fact that they have a thin squad and many holes to cover.
In less than four weeks, the 2026/27 Premier League season will begin. The Reds aren’t ready. Manager Andoni Iraola has instilled his strong vision throughout the squad as they started pre-season with a 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville, but many key players are still soaking up the sun, lounging in front of the infinity pool or resting up after an extended World Cup appearance.
And of course, there’s the small matter of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all leaving on free transfers, leaving Iraola in contention. With Hugo Ekitike’s slow recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Iraola, if named, would be off to a less-than-ideal start.
However, with Liverpool preparing hard for the season, a move from Barcola to Liverpool looks like a realistic possibility.
How can Barcola fit into Iraola’s Liverpool side?
To see how Barcola will operate under Iraola’s guidance, we may need to keep an eye on Antoine Semenyo.
Manchester City’s extraordinary player Semenyo was developed into the player he is today by Iraola on the south coast. He was signed from Bristol City and has become a deadly, direct and dynamic attacker with the ability to run across the front line.
Antoine Semenyo under Iraola (by position) | ||
|---|---|---|
position | app | Goal + Assist |
right wing | 47 | 15+3 |
left wing | 26 | 12+7 |
right wing back | 2 | 2+0 |
center forward | 2 | 1 + 0 |
Barcola may be able to emulate that role. Although he is still learning, the Frenchman’s unique combination of pace and explosiveness makes him the perfect attacker for a manager like Iraola. He is certainly not shot-shy, but he needs to work on his finishing, as he missed 25 big chances last season despite scoring 13 goals in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
But the bones of a prolific machine are in place, and at just 23 years old, Barcola has already been hailed by Anfield Index’s Dave Hendrick as a “superstar” and “the closest thing to Salah” on the current market.
PSG want £140m this summer, but that’s not enough. Barcola is not established enough for FSG to greenlight Alexander Isak’s British record £125m transfer last summer, given the player’s refusal to extend his contract at the Parc des Princes.
At Semenyo, Iraola built a superstar out of a Championship piece and now the Ghanaian star is front and center at Manchester City. Perhaps Barcola, with his greater talent, could reverse his influence at Liverpool while following the same blueprint as Iraola.
But is it enough? Liverpool are short, if not under-resourced, and need another winger who can compete for a starting spot on the right wing.
Liverpool have recently been in contract negotiations with Mini Barcola.
Iraora has been encouraged by Federico Chiesa’s recent comments. The Italian wants to stay and compete for a place after two tough years under Arne Slott. He scored a goal in Liverpool’s friendly against Sunderland.
However, Chiesa alone cannot replace Salah week in and week out. Instead, Liverpool will need to sign a potential upgrade. Barcola is one of them, and PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye could also be one of them.
According to France’s RMC Sport, PSG are willing to sell the 18-year-old for a reasonable price this summer and are certain to keep the winger in the corner of Luis Enrique’s superteam due to his attacking ability.
He is valued at €50m (around £43m) by his employers, and with so many clubs on the list, including Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and even clubs in Germany, Liverpool will have to work overtime to ensure they exceed this figure.
Although Mbaye is young, he has already established himself in France, playing for one of the great teams of his time. The Senegalese international has made 42 appearances for the club, scoring four goals and providing four assists. But it’s his fearless dribbling that excites viewers, and his desire to push into dangerous areas and score goals.
GOAL claimed that Mbae is the “second Kylian Mbappe”. His skill and confidence on the ball definitely showed elite potential, and his goal against France at the World Cup was a fantastic breakthrough goal overshadowed by Mbappé’s brilliance with France.
Already standing at 5ft 9in, the 18-year-old resembles Barcola in his width, grace and fluidity when moving forward, and his willingness to duel with tough, big defenders. Barcola, who is 6 feet tall, is no different, and that’s what defines his quality in both the left and right channels.
Mbaye is right-footed but has played on the right wing in his senior football. He has made four appearances for Senegal this summer, with Transfermarkt recording 35 of his 47 appearances for the Parisians on the right wing.
This is very promising. Iraola likes versatile wingers and could sign two of their most exciting signings in Barcola and Mbaye.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool can win this race, but there are two things we do know. Liverpool need two wide men and PSG are reluctant to sign them.
If they can do that before Anfield technical director Richard Hughes starts a new chapter in Saudi Arabia after the summer transfer window, the Reds could be in good shape for years to come.
