Barcola is a perfect fit for Liverpool

Finding a worthy successor to Mohamed Salah has never been a simple undertaking for Liverpool. However, Bradley Barcola could serve as the ideal solution for the new head coach, Andoni Iraola.

Upon arriving at Anfield, Iraola immediately identified the area Liverpool needed to bolster during the summer transfer window: "We require a quality winger." The Spanish coach fully recognized the significant gap in expertise that Salah had left. Until a suitable replacement could be found, he was forced to include two young forwards, Kieran Morrison and Joshua Abe, in the pre-season tour.

Still shines without extensive playing time.

Liverpool appeared to waste no time in pinpointing the right target: Bradley Barcola, a PSG striker who recently represented France at the 2026 World Cup. The Parisian club is said to be ready to ask for as much as £140 million for the 23-year-old. That figure would break Liverpool's transfer record, established the previous summer when they signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle for £125 million.

This is a typical PSG tactic. However, Barcola is eager to leave the Parc des Princes because he finds himself behind Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in Luis Enrique's pecking order for the wide attacking roles.

Barcola's ability has been validated at both PSG and the French national team. In the previous Ligue 1 season, he ranked behind only Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati in expected goals and average assists per match. During the 2026 World Cup, Barcola played in all eight games for France, starting four times, and notched three goals and one assist. His pace, burst of speed, and crafty ball-handling have earned him the nickname "grasshopper" on the field.

Not many are aware that Barcola was not regarded as a standout product of Lyon's youth academy. He even had difficulty securing a spot in the senior squad under Laurent Blanc. Only at the tail end of the 2022-23 season did Barcola truly make an impression, tallying 5 goals and 9 assists, which prompted PSG to invest £40 million to sign him in the summer of 2023.

The kind of player Iraola requires at Anfield.

Why is Barcola regarded as the right person to fill the gap left by Salah?

First and foremost, pace. The 23-year-old striker was among the quickest players in the Champions League last season and ranked seventh in speed at the 2026 World Cup. This is precisely the attribute that Liverpool was missing in the previous campaign.

Iraola's philosophy demands that the team advance the ball at the highest possible speed. Under his guidance, Bournemouth was one of the most direct-playing sides in the Premier League, and the addition of an explosive talent like Barcola is expected to have a significant impact at Anfield.

In addition to his speed, Barcola is highly adept in one-on-one duels. He frequently overcomes defenders with explosive bursts from a stationary start, reminiscent of a sprinter coming off the blocks. His experience playing as a center-forward from the age of 17 has also sharpened his goal-scoring instincts. Even though he has accumulated only around 1,750 minutes for PSG, he has contributed to 39 goals over three seasons.

Barcola is effective on either flank, a fact that was evident in the two-legged Champions League round of 16 tie against Chelsea last season. However, he is not a simple touchline-hugging winger; he frequently cuts inside to create opportunities and get involved in finishing.

In Iraola's view, Barcola is the perfect winger to mold into a first-class goalscorer. The Spanish manager previously helped Antonio Semenyo thrive at Bournemouth before the latter's transfer to Manchester City earlier this year. Now, Liverpool supporters can rightly anticipate how much more Iraola might develop Barcola if the French forward joins Anfield this summer.