Why Liverpool would sign the £43m winger instead

Liverpool may be pushing ahead in their bid to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Bradley Barcola, but FSG cannot escape the fact that the squad is small and many holes need to be covered.

In less than four weeks, the 2026/27 Premier League season begins. Rs are wrong. Andoni Iraola is instilling his lofty vision in the entire squad as they begin pre-season with a promising 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville, but many key players are still basking in the sun and lounging in front of infinity pools, resting after a long spell at the World Cup.

Then, there is the small matter of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson and Iraima Konate who all left on free transfers for Iraola to contend with. My partner is that with the ongoing, slow recovery of Hugo Ekitike from the rupture of the Achilles and you have a bad start to your career, if you can be called Iraola.

But Liverpool are working hard to prepare for the campaign, and it looks like Barcola to Liverpool is a real possibility.

How Barcola can fit into Iraola’s Liverpool

To get a gauge of how Barcola will perform under Iraola’s guidance, we may need to pay attention to Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo, Manchester City extraordinaire, was developed into the player he is today by Iraola on the south coast. He signed from Bristol City and went on to become a lethal attacker, direct and powerful, capable of crossing the front line.

Barcola can play that role. He is still learning, but the Frenchman’s unique blend of speed and explosiveness makes him the perfect coach for a coach like Iraola. He’s certainly not shy, but he needs to work on his finishing, having scored 13 goals in Ligue 1 and the Champions League last season, although he also missed 25 big chances.

But the bones of a powerhouse are already in place, with Barcola, still only 23, already hailed as a “star” and “the closest thing to Salah” on the market right now by Dave Hendrick of Anfield Index.

PSG want £140m this summer, but that won’t happen. Barcola remains unconvinced at the rate that saw FSG green-light a British record £125m move for Alexander Isak last summer, and with the player rejecting a contract extension at the Parc des Princes,

In Semenyo, Iraola made a star out of the Championship, and now the Ghanaian stars at the center of the stadium at Manchester City. Barcola, a bigger talent, could perhaps offset that impact at Liverpool while following the same blueprint as Iraola.

Is it enough though? Liverpool are short on possessions, if at all, and need another winger, someone who can compete for a starting spot on the right wing.

Liverpool in latest talks to sign mini Barcola

Iraola was strengthened by Federico Chiesa’s recent comments: the Italian wants to stay and fight for his place after two difficult years under Arne Slot. He scored a goal in Liverpool’s win over Sunderland in a friendly.

But Chiesa alone cannot fill Salah, week in, week out. Instead, Liverpool need to sign potential upgrades. Barcola is one, while his PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye could be another.

According to France’s RMC Sport, PSG are open to selling the 18-year-old for a reasonable price this summer, with an excess of attacking quality sure to see him end up on the fringes of Luis Enrique’s big squad.

He is valued at 50 million euros (£43m) by his employers, and with many clubs – such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, other German clubs – lined up, Liverpool will need to work overtime to ensure they get this one over the line.

Mbaye is still young, but he has made a name for himself in France, playing for one of the biggest teams of his time. In a team-high 42 games, the Senegalese has scored four goals and provided four assists. However, it is his fearless play that delights the spectators and his desire to squeeze into danger and score goals.

GOLI asserted that Mbaye is “the next Kylian Mbappe”. His skill and confidence on the ball exudes high energy, and he made a point when he scored against France in the World Cup, a great goal combined with Mbappe’s genius for the French.

Standing at 5 foot 9 already, the 18-year-old resembles Barcola in his balls, elegance and agility when he drives forward and is willing to take on tougher and bigger defenders. Barcola, 6 tall, is the same, and that is part of what defines his quality down the left or right channel.

Mbaye hits with his right foot, but he has played a high ball down the right side. He has played four games for Senegal this summer, while Transfermarkt records 35 of the Parisians’ 47 appearances as a right-back.

This is very promising. Iraola is like a versatile defender, and with Barcola and Mbaye, he could get two of the most exciting out there.

Whether Liverpool can win the race remains to be seen, but we know two things: Liverpool need a few wide men, and PSG are reluctant to invest in both.

If Anfield technical director Richard Hughes can do that before starting a new chapter in Saudi Arabia after the summer transfer window, the Reds could be on a roll for the next few years.