Many Liverpool fans will have questions about how Andoni Iraola can bring success to Anfield, but they will find their answers in the upcoming Premier League campaign.
The Spaniard got off to a successful start to pre-season after beating Sunderland 4-2 on Saturday night, but you can’t gauge much from a lack of competition.
However, he appears to have used his more pressing style, with striker Kieran Morrison saying the manager told him to do “things he’s never heard of before.”
While the 19-year-old is unlikely to be part of the Reds’ first-team this season, he will have an upper hand in any new additions given his performance alongside the 44-year-old.
FSG’s efforts to acquire attacking talent have increased in recent weeks, but management should avoid acquiring one big-money star.
Why Liverpool should part ways with Bradley Barcola deal
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Liverpool have been relentlessly chasing the signature of PSG left-back Bradley Barcola in recent weeks.
The Frenchman has emerged as the Reds’ number one attack, with the player himself looking to leave the Ligue 1 outfit for a new challenge.
However, any deal would be a club record for Iraola’s men, as his current employers have slapped a staggering £145m price tag on the forward’s head.
Spending such money on Barcola would be a big mistake on FSG’s part, where the striker would be a capable option, but arguably not worth the reported transfer fee.
|
Bradley Barcola – goals in a season in his career |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
Games |
Goals |
|
2021/22 |
13 |
0 |
|
2022/23 |
31 |
7 |
|
2023/24 |
42 |
5 |
|
2024/25 |
58 |
21 |
|
2025/26 |
55 |
13 |
Throughout 2025/26, he played 55 times, scored 13 goals and provided eight assists – a figure achieved by Reds midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai despite playing fewer games.
Such comparisons highlight his lack of success in forward areas and begs the question: Would you pay £145m for the most prolific Hungarian international?
The PSG star is also unproven in England’s top flight, which presents an additional risk, which could see the striker become another huge financial waste on Merseyside.
How can Liverpool land a bigger talent than Barcola this summer
The most important thing this summer for Liverpool is undoubtedly to add attacking quality at the top level after the departure of fan favorite Mohamed Salah at the end of last quarter.
Hugo Ekitike’s injury and Cody Gakpo’s struggles have only underlined the need for reinforcements, which could see Reds management spend a fortune once again.
Countless options have been mooted, but a reunion between Bournemouth winger Ryan and manager Iraola could be on the cards before 2026/27.
TalkSPORT reported that the Brazilian forward is considered one of the club’s dreams and the manager is determined to sign the 19-year-old star.
They also say that the striker has an £85m release clause that starts in the summer of 2027, with a move that needs to be made to avoid paying the bills.
It is unclear how much the deal will cost this summer, but the Reds will be getting a player who can develop into a world-class operator under Iraola.
When comparing his stats with Barcola’s last season, Rayan managed to surpass the Frenchman despite 2025/26 being his first season in Europe’s top league.
He scored five goals in just 15 league games, after which he registered 0.4 goals in 90 – a figure that PSG could not match.
The aforementioned statistic puts him above 91% of attackers in Europe – which shows his excellent ability to find the net despite his young age.
As a result, he scored a better goal per game and minute per goal average than the PSG man, and did so while working in a lower quality outfit.
Rayan was also able to create endless chances for the other attackers around him, as seen by his statistics of 0.9 big chances created per 90 – double the number of Barcola.
Such numbers allowed him to give more than 92% of the chances to attackers on the continent – making him the biggest threat to the whole team in the final third.
And at the most recent World Cup, the Brazilian did better than the £145m star, completing almost double the dribbles he attempted in the United States.
Given the immediate quality difference and the staggering price difference, it should be a no-brainer for Liverpool to replace Barcola with Rayan.
His experience working with Iraola could also make him an instant star at Anfield, as he already knows the demands of the Spaniard’s fitness regime.
His signing may be difficult as he only joined the Cherries in January, but he is a player who could play for the next decade on Merseyside given his young age.
