The One Thing Liverpool Can’t Afford to Do With $163 Million Bradley Barcola

The Frenchman has delivered 60 goal contributions across his last two seasons with PSG.

Bradley Barcola is close to joining the Reds. | CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

One of the summer’s most protracted transfer sagas is edging toward its conclusion as Liverpool near the signing of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola.

There was finally a breakthrough in negotiations on Thursday as the Reds reportedly agreed an initial fee of $136 million (£100 million), which could potentially rise to $163 million (£120 million) with add-ons. That’s a significant reduction from the $197 million (£145 million) PSG were reportedly seeking earlier in the transfer window.

While the deal is yet to be finalized and complications could still emerge, Liverpool can begin to plan around the 23-year-old, who has established himself as one of the world’s leading forwards during two Champions League-winning campaigns with PSG.

Caution must be issued considering the difficulties endured by Liverpool’s other record signings, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, and it will be up to new boss Andoni Iraola to maximize Barcola’s talents on Merseyside.

Here’s how Liverpool can effectively employ the France international.

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Where Will Barcola Play for Liverpool?

Barcola broadens Liverpool’s attacking options. | Adam Davy/PA Images/Getty Images

Liverpool have been desperately scrambling for Mohamed Salah’s long-term replacement all summer and Barcola can be considered the Egyptian’s heir—in spirit, at least. Easily ranking among the best wide forwards on the planet, he will deliver the dynamism and goal threat that was sorely missed last season amid Salah’s swift decline.

However, Barcola is no right winger. With a clear preference for playing on the left-hand side of the attack for both PSG and France, he’s expected to operate in his favored position at Anfield, too. Unfortunately for Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Victor Muñoz, that means a reduction in minutes in their preferred roles.

Liverpool cannot splash $163 million on a superstar name and then play him out of position. It’s clear that others will have to adapt to allow Barcola to thrive.

And the Frenchman should thrive as Iraola builds his offense around him, offering him the freedom to roam the flank and take up incredibly advanced positions, either while hugging the touchline or in half-spaces on the wrong side of the opposition’s right back. What that means for Liverpool’s defensive structure remains to be seen, but it should yield positive results for Barcola.

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How Barcola Can Elevate Liverpool’s Offense

Barcola will join Isak (left) and Wirtz (right) as £100m+ signings. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

Liverpool were forced to sell in order to fund last summer’s record-breaking spend, but letting Luis Díaz leave proved disastrous. The energetic Colombian proceeded to thrive with Bayern Munich, all while the Reds struggled with creativity and, perhaps most importantly, pace in the wide areas.

Barcola, on paper, is a similar player to Díaz, somebody capable of conjuring magic from a standing start and reliably providing both goals and assists. They are both lightning quick, love to take on fullbacks and have the ability to cut inside or dart to the byline. Those are attributes Liverpool’s wingers have lacked in Díaz’s absence.

Iraola will demand hard work from Barcola out of possession, as PSG manager Luis Enrique did also, but he will be given license to dazzle with the ball at his feet. With no natural right wingers currently in their roster, Liverpool will undoubtedly focus the majority of their attacks down the left-hand side, especially with attacking midfielder Wirtz also drifting to that flank frequently.

When Barcola has the ball, expect fireworks. In Ligue 1 last season, he ranked third for combined expected goals and expected assists per 90, and 12th for successful dribbles and shots per match. Across all competitions, he supplied 21 goal involvements, fewer than the 39 he’d provided the season prior.

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The Trap Liverpool Must Avoid

Iraola cannot waste Barcola’s potential. | Paul ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

There might be a temptation to deploy Barcola on the right wing upon arrival given Liverpool’s lack of options in the role. Iraola must resist that temptation.

Barcola has played on the right flank before, doing so 22 times for PSG. His record is perfectly palatable, with four goals and eight assists in those matches—albeit many of them came against uninspiring Ligue 1 opponents.

However, by forcing Barcola to the right wing, Liverpool would be negating his greatest strengths.

He’s undeniably better when playing on the left given his propensity for cutting inside onto his preferred right boot and taking aim at goal, with his clinical edge honed while playing as a center forward up until the age of 17. There’s room to improve his finishing, but his willingness to engineer shooting positions and then let fly makes him such a tricky player to defend.

Barcola simply won’t have the same impact on the right wing, and shunting him into that position would only be setting him up to fail.

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