Why Liverpool have made £116m “superstar” their top target to replace Salah

Liverpool are on the mend, but FSG Chief of Football Michael Edwards, and Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes, have quite the task on their hands this summer.

For the second summer transfer window in a row, the Reds are making sweeping changes. This time, the pressure has been cranked up, with Arne Slot’s tenure crumbling after that record-breaking spending spree. Now, Liverpool need to put themselves back on their perch.

Easier said than done, especially with Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate all having departed on free transfers.

How to replace the irreplaceable? Liverpool’s decision-makers have their work cut out this summer. There is so much to do, even with Victor Munoz already signed for £34.5m.

Liverpool make World Cup superstar their top target

Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League last season. They were mighty fortunate to have secured a seat at the Champions League table, 60 points enough for Europe’s foremost competition.

Salah declined, but he wasn’t the crux of the problem. At 34, it’s not a surprise, but Liverpool and FSG entered the summer market knowing they needed to effectively replace him, and they have thus far failed to do that, with Yan Diomande preferring a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

It’s not the end of the world. The Reds must now pivot, and while a number of exciting targets have been shortlisted, the one and only Fabrizio Romano has stepped in to confirm that Liverpool are in pursuit of one man above all others.

Romano says that Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is at the top of Liverpool’s summer shopping list now that they have fallen behind in the race for Diomande, though they face stiff competition from Arsenal, who also need a left-sided attacker this summer.

“According to my information, he’s an important player for PSG, but he’s not untouchable.

“It means that PSG would be happy to continue with him. But if a big proposal arrives to the player and also to PSG, we still have to keep an eye on Barcola. Liverpool are there, and also Arsenal.

“For Liverpool, Barcola is in the highest position of winger targets.”

Crucially, Arsenal’s priority is signing Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, so if Liverpool act speedily, they could pull off a talismanic signing of the vein of Salah. Barcola is valued in excess of £116m, even though he is entering the penultimate year of his contract with PSG.

Why Barcola can be Liverpool’s new Salah

Barcola is quite the rising star. For his exploits with PSG over the past few years, he has already been described by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson as being “one of the best left wingers in the world“.

Barcola is the real deal, and as he continues to improve over the next few years, he might just establish himself as Salah’s successor at Liverpool.

He will not provide as many goals, it’s surely safe to say, but Barcola does have a one-of-a-kind approach to wingplay, so unique in his rangy running style.

He does also have a natural edge in the final third, and with versatility across the frontline, it’s perhaps understandable that PSG are demanding a nine-digit figure for his possible sale. In their mind, he is indeed ‘one of the best wingers’ in the world.

After all, Liverpool have been urged to “sign a superstar” like Barcola this summer by Anfield Index’s Dave Hendrick, who believe that his propensity toward scoring from wide positions makes him the “closest thing” to Salah.

The most exciting part is that Barcola has not fully grown into his skin as a world-class attacker. There is a rawness to his game that Iraola could shape into something special.

But when a player has starred for the greatest team of their age for two years, scoring 34 goals and assisting 28 more across all competitions, it’s clear that he’s special, and could grow into a talismanic force for a club like Liverpool.

Could he emulate Salah? Barcola is fleet-footed and direct, but he probably doesn’t possess the same devastating hunger for goals (but then, who does?). Instead, he could pack a different kind of punch, while still becoming a focal point in attack for a Liverpool side desperate to return to the top.

Salah is no longer contracted to Anfield, a strange truth to accept, but if Barcola is welcomed to Iraola’s squad at the start of a new era, the Reds could secure a wide attacker who can become a superstar of his own flavour.