How Liverpool can sign a perfect partner for Bradley Barcola for £43m

Liverpool have already missed out on several transfer targets in their bid to add a top-quality left-sided attacker to their ranks ahead of next season.

They were interested in a deal to sign Yan Diomande from German side RB Leipzig earlier this summer, before the player decided that he would prefer to pursue a move to Paris Saint-Germain, although that has yet to materialise for him.

The Reds had also made contact with Aston Villa about a potential deal for England international Morgan Rogers, and he is now on the verge of a £117m transfer to Chelsea.

One target who is still in play for the Premier League giants, however, is Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who is regarded as a possible option to bolster Andoni Iraola‘s attack.

Where Barcola would fit in at Liverpool

In the 2025/26 campaign, Liverpool’s new manager deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation in 36 of Bournemouth’s 38 matches in the Premier League, which suggests that he will go with that system at Anfield.

In that formation, Barcola would slot in on the left side of the attacking midfield trident behind a centre-forward, as his preferred position at PSG has been on the left wing.

The France international has started 113 career club games as a left-winger and no more than 37 in any other role, which means that he would be nailed on to play on the left in Iraola’s 4-2-3-1 set-up.

Barcola could replace Cody Gakpo on the left flank and provide more quality at the top end of the pitch for the Reds, after producing five more goals and ‘big chances’ created combined at league level last term.

The 23-year-old attacker has scored 34 goals for PSG in the last two seasons combined, and could arrive at Anfield to provide the consistent goal threat that they have been lacking in that position.

Who Liverpool could sign after Barcola

Football is often about partnerships and combinations on the pitch, though, and the club are looking at another player who could play alongside Barcola down the left next season.

Caught Offside reports that Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund left-back Daniel Svensson in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Reds and Arsenal are both eyeing up moves for the Sweden international, and that Iraola’s side are plotting a concrete swoop for his signature.

It adds that the growing competition for his services could cause the German outfit to demand a fee of up to £43m for his signature, and it remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool are prepared to pay that much for him.

Supporters may not be too familiar with Svensson, as he joined Dortmund from Nordsjaelland last year, but his performances in the Bundesliga last season suggest that he would be the perfect partner for Barcola down the left.

With Andy Robertson leaving on a free transfer to sign for Tottenham Hotspur, Iraola needs a left-back to come in and compete with Milos Kerkez for a starting berth, and the Swedish star could be the ideal signing.

The 24-year-old ace, who was described as a “running wonder” by coach Niko Kovac, scored two goals and created six ‘big chances’ in 27 starts in the Bundesliga last term, and racked up one goal and three assists in eight starts in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Svensson, who played 45 times in all competitions for Dortmund, also scored two goals in eight starts in the Champions League for his club, which shows that he can offer a decent threat at the top end of the pitch.

In the 2023/24 Superliga season, the £43m-rated talent scored two goals, created 12 ‘big chances’, and registered nine assists in 32 matches for Nordsjaelland, helping to attract Dortmund’s attention.

His statistics in Denmark and Germany suggest that he can provide a fantastic overlapping presence for Liverpool on the left flank, which could create space for Barcola to work with as a right-footed left winger who wants to drift infield.

Liverpool would still have width on the left, thanks to Svensson’s desire to get forward and put crosses into the box, whilst having Barcola to join up with the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in central positions, creating a fluid and exciting attack.