Liverpool won the Premier League last season, but this year, the Reds have a very different feel about them, and Arne Slot has certainly got his work cut out.
While defeat in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace doesn’t mean all that much, there’s no disguising the lack of defensive solidity on display from Liverpool, who, despite their summer spending, need to make signings in defence and attack before the end of the transfer window.
Having sold Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez to Bayern Munich and Al Hilal respectively, Liverpool are somewhat light up front. The tragic passing of Diogo Jota has also meant that Hugo Ekitike, who joined the club from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m last month, does not have an alternative option at centre-forward beyond Jayden Danns.
Liverpool’s bid for Alexander Isak has been one of the most prominent themes in the transfer market this summer, and though the pursuit has been protracted, the outcome uncertain, FSG remain hopeful that they can get the deal done before the end of the month.
Why Liverpool want Alexander Isak
Newcastle United’s star striker is desperate to join Liverpool this summer, currently ostracised from Eddie Howe’s first-team plans as a resolution is targeted for all parties.
Liverpool have already lodged a formal £110m offer this month, which was rejected, and have since waited for encouragement from the Magpies that a second bid would not be futile.
That’s according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, who detailed to GIVEMESPORT that the Sweden international, 25, would only reintegrate into the Newcastle fold if Liverpool formally dropped their interest.
The whole situation is rather convoluted. Isak wants to go. Newcastle don’t want him to go. Liverpool want him. Liverpool have already bid, and won’t follow that up unless green-lit.
Should Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes be forced to pull the plug, it’s crucial that another elite-level forward is signed this summer. Luckily, Hughes has one in mind.
Liverpool lining up Isak alternative
As per Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool will place their focus on signing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain this summer if Newcastle’s stance on Isak staying put is final.
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PSG hardly want to part with their coveted left winger, who played a crucial role in winning the quadruple with manager Luis Enrique last year, and are expected to offer the 22-year-old a fresh contract to ward away suitors like Liverpool.
Romano stated: “In case this story [Isak] doesn’t work for any reason. In case Newcastle don’t open the door and Newcastle decide to close off any other option, Liverpool could bring in a different type of player and it could be a winger.
“A player they like for sure is Bradley Barcola at PSG. He’s one of the best players in the world. He’s one of the top five in his position. But don’t forget PSG in this one. PSG are prepared to offer him a really important contract extension to stay. This won’t be an easy one. Liverpool really like him but for now the focus is Isak.”
Though Barcola is valued at around £87m, the Premier League champions have demonstrated through their pursuit of Isak that they have money left to spend this month, and Romano has previously already confirmed that Barcola is viewed as a “world-class player” by those in the FSG offices.
What Bradley Barcola would bring to Liverpool
Two years ago, PSG signed Barcola from French rivals Lyon for a €45m (£38m) fee, and after an up-and-down maiden campaign in the capital, he has stepped up to elite status over the past year.
Indeed, across 64 matches in all competitions, the Les Bleus star scored 21 goals and supplied 21 assists, with talent scout hailing him as “one of PSG’s absolute heroes” of the 2024/25 season.
With Cody Gakpo Liverpool’s senior starter at left wing currently, Barcola could be the perfect upgrade, and his talismanic potential suggests he might even be more talented than his compatriot Ekitike, who scored on his Liverpool debut on Sunday.
Barcola is more of a wide player than Ekitike, but both boast multi-faceted physical profiles with bucketloads of technical quality besides.
In Ligue 1 alone, his playmaking skills shone glaringly, having created 18 big chances across 34 matches, only 27 of which were starts, via Sofascore.
Barcola is, in effect, a more dynamic version of Diaz, skilled across all three attacking thirds, albeit at his best when zipping up and down the left flank, having posted 24 goals and 27 assists across 81 career outings as a left-sided forward.
Goals scored
0.47
Top 14%
Assists
0.39
Top 8%
Shots taken
2.89
Top 20%
Touches (att pen)
8.95
Top 1%
Shot-creating actions
4.24
Top 29%
Progressive passes
3.33
Top 60%
Progressive carries
5.45
Top 9%
Successful take-ons
1.74
Top 37%
Tackles + interceptions
1.93
Top 36%
Able to dish out his attacking output across multiple means, Barcola is the real deal, with his sharpness in the final third suggesting that he is already a level above Ekitike, whose performances for Frankfurt last year underscored his world-class potential, but lagged behind those of Isak in the Premier League.
Does the centre-forward have what it takes to lead the line for Liverpool across the span of the season? Barcola, surely, would dovetail right in. The PSG sensation started 46 matches last term, highlighting his importance to Enrique even after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was welcomed from Napoli at the year’s midpoint.
His capacity to play in a central striking berth, too, even suggests that Barcola could operate in Ekitike’s stead at times next season, thus providing Slot with the dream Isak alternative, one who plays off the wing and yet still has the potential to rival and even surpass Ekitike.
It’s hardly surprising that Liverpool are interested in getting this deal done. After all, Romano declared when discussing the Reds’ interest that Barcola is “one of the best players in the world”.
In fact, Barcola might have enough talent in the bank to establish himself as Slot’s new attacking superstar, with Salah heading entering the twilight of his illustrious career in English football.
With Liverpool having undergone a whole catalogue of change this summer, adding another forward to the ranks is a must. And truly, in Barcola, the Reds could hit the jackpot and sign the cream of the crop.
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