This week, The Athletic published a survey pertaining to the optimism of different Premier League outfits. With a 58% optimism score, Liverpool are officially the most pessimistic club in the division.
In fairness, you can understand why so many fans are harbouring reservations over their team’s chances of success this year. But the mood may well shift if Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes pulls off a number of statement signings before the transfer window slams shut in less than two weeks.
Liverpool have yet to replace Mohamed Salah on the right wing, and the suggestion is that central midfield won’t be strengthened, even as Curtis Jones is jettisoned off to Italy, where he will sign for Inter Milan. Trey Nyoni, 18, could step up as his replacement.
But it is indeed the frontline in need of the most attention. Andoni Iraola is a talented coach, but he’s not a miracle worker.
Why Liverpool need multiple forwards
It is not hyperbolic to say that Liverpool are a bit threadbare in attack. And it’s not like FSG operate on a shoestring budget, but the desire to sign new forwards has not yet materialised into something concrete this summer.
Salah’s departure was always going to sting, and even though he fell from his imperious standards last year, dominating at the top for so many years, the Egyptian King needs replacing. He needs replacing with someone who can thrive on the right flank.
|
Liverpool Top Scorers 2025/26 (all comps) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Apps |
Goals |
|
Hugo Ekitike |
45 |
17 |
|
Dominik Szoboszlai |
53 |
13 |
|
Mohamed Salah |
41 |
12 |
|
Cody Gakpo |
52 |
9 |
|
Virgil van Dijk |
55 |
8 |
Talks have been held to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye, but recent revelations from numerous sources suggest that Liverpool do not believe a deal will be closed, with PSG demanding around £43m for the 18-year-old.
Sometimes, you just have to push and get deals done. And for Liverpool, they need more magic in attack. From Fernando Torres to Luis Suarez to Salah, Liverpool’s history is steeped in show-stopping forwards.
Though Iraola has Alexander Isak and, upon his return from injury, Hugo Ekitike at his disposal, the Reds still lack a bit of maverick quality in attack, but that might change soon.
Liverpool ready to sign the new Torres “this week”
Liverpool believe they are inching toward a marquee signing. The player in question could be the Anfield side’s new version of Torres, one of the greatest strikers in the club’s history.
Move aside, Isak and Ekitike; PSG’s Bradley Barcola could emerge as the new El Nino, with there being a likeness between the two sagas.
According to Liverpool correspondent Lewis Steele, the Reds could complete a protracted move to sign the French international “this week”, with rumours suggesting a £115m fee could do the trick.
They’re prepared to bid again. I fully expect – in the next few days – LFC to bid again, present an official proposal and continue these direct conversations. I think that it’s going to be this week.
Barcola, 23, has grown into a mainstay for PSG over the past couple of years, his 34-goal return over the past two seasons bettered only by the indomitable Ousmane Dembele. This one has a lot in his locker, and while he is still developing, he has superstar potential that could drive Liverpool forward over the coming years.
Indeed, Torres was also 23 years old when he left Atletico Madrid in 2007 and signed for Liverpool in a £20m deal. Young and rising, the Spanish superstar was already the talk of the town in the Spanish capital, having finished as Atletico’s top scorer for five terms in a row before joining the Anfield club.
Barcola is not a striker, but he is a high-octane attacker, dynamic and entertaining to watch. In the Champions League last season, he reached a top speed of 34.4 km/h, placing him in the top 2% of players for highest speed.
Liverpool would land a rare type of player in this one. Like Torres, he would surely win over the fanbase from the get-go, raising the bar in attack and cementing himself as one of Iraola’s most trusted lieutenants.
Barcola is a prolific winger, but he’s also effortlessly creative and startlingly quick. He’s the complete package, even if that skillset is still unrefined.
But Torrres was an imperfect superstar when he first landed in Liverpool. He went on to achieve individual greatness in Red. Now, Barcola could follow suit, joining Iraola’s outfit and cementing himself as one of the Premier League’s latest sensations.
