Liverpool
Why Liverpool Must Keep Bradley Barcola on the Left
Liverpool can sign Bradley Barcola, but Andoni Iraola must use him on the left, not the right.
Liverpool are closing in on one of the summer’s most drawn-out deals, with Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola approaching a move to Anfield. The transfer is not yet complete, and complications could still appear, but the 23-year-old is already being viewed as a major attacking addition after two Champions League-winning seasons with PSG.
For Liverpool, the key issue is not whether Barcola can help, but where he should play. The France international has long looked most effective on the left, and that is where he is expected to operate if the move goes through. He has the pace, directness and final-third threat Liverpool have lacked since Luis Díaz departed, and there is a clear argument that he is the closest thing to Mohamed Salah’s long-term successor in spirit.
That does not mean he should be pushed into Salah’s old role on the right. Liverpool do not need to buy a player of Barcola’s calibre and then move him away from the zone that best suits him. Playing him out of position would only limit what he offers. Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Victor Muñoz would all see their preferred minutes affected, but the priority must be getting the new signing into his strongest area.
Andoni Iraola will be expected to build around him. Barcola can stretch the pitch, take up advanced positions, and drift into half-spaces on the far side of the opposition right-back. He will also be asked to work hard without the ball, just as he did under Luis Enrique at PSG, but with possession he should have the freedom to create. With no natural right winger in the squad, Liverpool are likely to lean heavily to the left, especially with Wirtz also drifting that way.
The numbers support the excitement. In Ligue 1 last season, Barcola ranked third for combined expected goals and expected assists per 90, and 12th for successful dribbles and shots per match. Across all competitions, he delivered 21 goal involvements. Liverpool should resist any temptation to send him right. Doing so would blunt his best qualities.
Aston Villa
Villa Move Ahead for Mbaye as Liverpool Face Another Setback
Villa are close to Mbaye, while Liverpool’s search for a right-sided forward still
Liverpool have suffered another blow in the race for a transfer target, with Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye now close to joining Aston Villa.
The Reds had identified Mbaye as a possible addition earlier in the window, but PSG’s asking price quickly became a stumbling block. Liverpool were unwilling to match the valuation of the 18-year-old, leaving the door open for a rival to step in.
Villa have done exactly that. According to The Athletic, they have reached an agreement in principle after submitting a $63.8 million (€55 million, £47.1 million) bid. The report also points to the relationship between PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris as a key factor behind the deal.
Mbaye’s rise has been rapid. Since joining the club’s academy in 2018, he has made 42 senior appearances for the reigning European champions and delivered eight goal contributions. The Senegal international also featured at the 2026 World Cup, underlining the level of attention he has already attracted at such a young age.
There was some encouragement for Liverpool supporters on Thursday, when reports said the club had agreed a $163 million (£120 million) deal with PSG for Bradley Barcola. That fee is understood to include $135 million (£100 million) up front, with the remainder tied to performance-related add-ons.
Even so, that development does not solve Liverpool’s wider problem on the right wing. Barcola prefers to play on the left, leaving the club’s search for a successor to Mohamed Salah unresolved.
The list of names linked with the role has already been extensive, with Liverpool moving from Maghnes Akliouche to Ismaïla Sarr, and also considering Mbaye and Yankuba Minteh. With the Sept. 1 deadline getting closer, there is still no clear indication of who, if anyone, will arrive.
Other possibilities remain, including Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Porto’s William Gomes, Bournemouth’s Rayan, Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, Juventus’s Francisco Conceição and Club Brugge’s Carlos Forbs. None, however, appears to offer a simple solution.
For Villa, the move would ease pressure on Unai Emery after a difficult spell that has seen him lose much of his Europa League-winning side from 2025-26. He also delivered an emotional farewell to Ollie Watkins in his Friday news conference after confirming the pair had made up following his decision to make himself unavailable to play on the opening day of the season.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s Barcola Move Could Trigger Further Transfer Decisions
Liverpool’s move for Bradley Barcola could force more changes, with right-wing needs and sales still in play.
Liverpool’s push to sign Bradley Barcola may be one of the defining deals of the summer, but it may also be only the beginning of a wider reshaping of the squad.
The French forward had enjoyed a brilliant 2024-25, though his role at PSG was reduced sharply after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia arrived to occupy the left side. Barcola’s starts in Ligue 1 and the Champions League both dropped last season, and his output suffered as he became the backup option. PSG have already moved to replace him, too, by agreeing a deal for Belgium international Mika Godts earlier this month.
Liverpool are now close to landing the 23-year-old, with a fee that could reach $163 million (£120 million) after PSG’s original demands. That would put him just behind the club’s outlay on Alexander Isak last summer, and potentially make him the second most expensive player in Premier League history.
Even so, Barcola would not directly address Liverpool’s biggest problem from the start of the summer. Mohamed Salah’s departure left a major gap on the right flank, and Dominik Szoboszlai was used there only as cover last season. At present, Liverpool do not have a natural right winger.
The club’s thinking is not about replacing Salah’s numbers one for one, but about improving the left side with Barcola and finding rhythm through the middle with Florian Wirtz. A specialist on the right is still required, though. Rio Ngumoha, Víctor Muñoz and Cody Gakpo are all left wingers, and Ngumoha’s start on the right against Newcastle United in the season opener did not work.
That is why Liverpool may still look at names such as Yankuba Minteh, Ismaïla Sarr, Ibrahim Mbaye, Pedro Neto and Rayan, while The Athletic now also reports Iliman Ndiaye is of interest.
The financial picture is equally significant. Before Barcola, this was a relatively restrained window, but the total spend could rise to around $285 million (£210 million). Liverpool have yet to bring in much through sales, with Curtis Jones the only notable fee so far.
Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa were left out of the bench against Newcastle, while Cody Gakpo could become a candidate for departure if Liverpool decide to free up funds and reduce left-wing congestion.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool explore right-sided attack options as bids for Sarr and Minteh fail
Liverpool’s hunt for a right winger continues after bids for Sarr and Minteh were rejected.
Liverpool’s search for a long-term answer on the right flank has become more complicated after two targeted moves came to nothing.
Crystal Palace quickly rejected a surprise $68 million (£50 million) approach for Ismaïla Sarr, a player Liverpool view as a possible successor to Mohamed Salah because of his natural fit on the right wing. The Palace forward is also well known to Liverpool from previous meetings, having scored seven times in 10 appearances against them as a Watford and Palace player, including four goals last season.
The Sarr pursuit came after Liverpool had already seen two offers for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh turned down. Brighton are holding out for $108.7 million (£80 million), leaving Liverpool short of obvious options as the window moves towards its Sept. 1 deadline.
Reports from Fabrizio Romano and others say Palace are not planning to sell Sarr this summer. Galatasaray have also had two bids rejected for the 28-year-old, underlining how difficult this market has become.
Liverpool’s search for a right winger remains separate from any move for Barcola. The Frenchman is not certain to join Anfield, with PSG standing firm on their valuation, although there is growing optimism that a deal could still happen. Even so, that would only address part of the problem for Andoni Iraola, who still needs a natural Salah replacement.
At Newcastle United in the Premier League opener, Rio Ngumoha and Victor Muñoz were used on the right side of the attack, but both are more comfortable on the left. The same is true of Cody Gakpo and possible arrival Barcola.
If Liverpool continue to miss out, they may return to Mbaye, despite PSG’s $81.6 million price tag. Matias Fernandez-Pardo has also been mentioned, while Rayan would require a nine-figure fee and carries a $176.7 million (£130 million) release clause that becomes active in January 2027. Francisco Conceição, Takefusa Kubo and Johan Bakayoko have also been linked in previous windows.
