Liverpool’s new head coach Andoni Iraola has made it very clear they need to add a winger this summer, and their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola took a step forward on Wednesday as The Athletic revealed they are set to make an opening bid.
Mohamed Salah’s exit earlier this summer left a gaping hole on Liverpool’s right wing, and it remains unfilled less than a month before the new season kicks off.
They had initially explored a deal for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande. He fit the profile perfectly, stylistically and from a plug-and-play standpoint, as he favours playing on the right. He instead looks set to head to Real Madrid.
Liverpool have taken their time to consider their next move in the market. That process has led them to move forward with an attempt to sign the 23-year-old Barcola, who is one of Europe’s bright young stars. While PSG have indicated they value the player at about £145million, Liverpool will try to do a deal closer to £100m.
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Adding Barcola to a front four that could also include Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Rio Ngumoha or Hugo Ekitike, when he returns from injury, is a mouth-watering prospect. The question is, though, whether this solves Liverpool’s biggest issue.
The answer is both yes and no.
Barcola is a left-winger, not right. That is where he has played the majority of his football since arriving at PSG three years ago and where he has been used by Didier Deschamps for their country, including at the recent World Cup.
His position map illustrates that he prefers to play on the left and, unsurprisingly, this is where he has been most effective.
It is a similar situation to Victor Munoz, who Liverpool signed from Osasuna for £34.5million earlier in the window. While being a versatile attacking option, Munoz played more than double the number of minutes on the left (1,528) than on the right (731) during his 2025-26 breakthrough campaign in Spain.
Should Barcola be signed, Iraola would have four wide options in him, Cody Gakpo, Ngumoha and Munoz, but he would also have four players who all prefer to operate on the left.
When you look at the current state of the winger market though, with the exception of Diomande, there is nobody available at the same level of quality or who boasts Barcola’s glittering CV. Even someone such as Bournemouth’s Rayan, who would tick a lot of boxes, is a young prospect (he turns 20 next week) and still developing.
When you take position out — and add in a stylistic standpoint — the answer to the question about whether signing Barcola resolves Liverpool’s biggest issue is a resounding yes.
Their attack sorely lacked speed and dynamism last season, which was a major reason why Arne Slot’s side looked so toothless in attack. The front three did not ask enough questions of defences and played a role in the tedious, pedestrian ball movement that so frustrated supporters.
Barcola would solve the matter of speed immediately. According to tracking data provided by SkillCorner, the France international ranked fourth across Europe’s top five domestic leagues for ‘Peak Sprint Velocity’ last season, clocking 32.7km/h (20.3mph), as analysed by my colleague Conor O’Neill.
Verticality has been a word used by Iraola on several occasions when talking about how he envisions Liverpool’s style of play. It is something they did not get from Salah and Gakpo in wide areas last season, with neither player offering that real, searing top speed. It is also not their preferred game to constantly look to stretch the pitch.
Again, step forward Barcola, whose off-ball movement, as the graphic below shows, mainly comes in the form of direct runs in behind. Not only could that present opportunities for him, but it could also open up spaces for others, particularly Wirtz, to thrive.
Noticeably, those runs are often from outside to in, so not only is he stretching an opposition defence but there is also a purpose. His targeting running onto a ball heading towards goal is a theme, regardless of which wing he played on for PSG last season. Barcola thrives from passes played between right-sided centre-back and right-back.
Liverpool also lacked players last season with the ability to take on a full-back and successfully dribble past him. Barcola’s acceleration, quick change of direction and technical skill make him a real nuisance in this regard.
His rate of 1.85 take-ons per game was 12th in France’s top flight last season. His dribble success rate was only 36.7 per cent — just 18th in Ligue 1 — but Iraola wants his players to take risks. This works in tandem with his aggressive off-ball structure, which platforms winning possession back quickly.
Somewhat surprisingly, Liverpool were the Premier League’s most counter-attacking side last season, launching 128 direct attacks. Iraola will look to continue and improve that, evidenced by the goals scored in the opening pre-season friendly, a 4-2 win against Sunderland on Saturday, and it is those situations, where there is more space, that Barcola thrives.
He is also effective in front of goal, scoring in double figures in Ligue 1 in each of the past two campaigns, although the Premier League will offer tougher defensive tests more regularly. He can be a creator and provider too, which Liverpool will need to do a better job of than when trying to create chances for whoever was playing as their No 9 last season: Ekitike was their top scorer in the league with just 11 goals.
Iraola may believe he can develop Barcola as a right-winger and maximise his potential. That should not be ruled out.
If not, then the right-sided responsibilities are likely to fall on Munoz and Ngumoha, who played on the right and scored as Liverpool beat Wrexham in pre-season on Wednesday night. Ngumoha had hinted at playing on both wings in an interview earlier in pre-season.
“I think being unpredictable off both sides is key,” Ngumoha told Liverpoolfc.com. “Obviously, everyone knows I can play on the left, but on the right I feel like I’m improving and I’m getting better. So, yeah, definitely off the left and the right this season.”
Ultimately, a player of Barcola’s ability could be available, and he ticks so many of the right boxes for Liverpool. Even if he isn’t the perfect fit, he should improve the team if they can sign him.
This feels like one of those cases of getting the deal done first and trusting that you can figure the rest out later.
