Barcola signs for Liverpool as Gakpo leaves - Iraola's dream end to the transfer window

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Suraj Radia | Editor

Liverpool are scrambling to save their summer and complete a flurry of business before the transfer window closes next week, with Andoni Iraola’s desperate for an injection of quality after an unconvincing last 12 months.

The Reds were the biggest spenders in Europe last summer, splashing nearly €500 million on the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, but the signings didn’t pay off as Liverpool followed up their title success by finishing fifth.

This summer, despite knowing that Mohamed Salah was due to depart, Liverpool have yet to replace their talismanic forward and have only made three additions to their squad so far.

The arrival of young defender Jeremy Jacquet had already been agreed in January and Victor Munoz arrived in June after Liverpool agreed to pay the winger’s €40m release clause before Ronald Araujo’s loan signing earlier this month.

However, there are still glaring gaps at right-back, defensive midfield and, most crucially, out wide where Salah’s exit has left a void in goals, pedigree and belief.

Having scraped a 2-2 draw against Newcastle in Iraola’s first Premier League match in charge, Liverpool are aware they need multiple big money arrivals in the coming days and FootballTransfers explores what a dream end to the summer window could look like for Iraola.

Sign Bradley Barcola

Bradley Barcola has been Liverpool’s top target all summer yet there has been little development in negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over a deal, with the French side standing firm on their asking price.

Liverpool have pursued Barcola for the better part of a year but PSG have only opened the door to the 23-year-old’s departure in recent weeks, although they are thought to be holding out for around €140m for the winger.

While Liverpool have no desire to spend that much, their lack of progress with other business has left the club with a sense of desperation and they will likely be forced to shell out another giant fee in order to sign their top target this late in the window.

A deal is expected to happen, with personal terms already agreed, but Liverpool’s priority should be to resolve the situation as quickly as possible in order to raise morale and spend the rest of the time focusing on the other business that needs to be done.

Sign an actual Salah replacement

Although Barcola is perhaps the most talented player that Liverpool could replace Salah with, the Frenchman prefers to play on the left where Liverpool already have the likes of Munoz and Cody Gakpo.

But there is still a giant hole vacated on the opposite flank and, despite being aware of Salah’s intentions since last year, Liverpool do not appear to have a coherent succession plan for their star man even with just days left in the window.

Liverpool have already seen multiple bids turned down by Brighton for Yankuba Minteh, while PSG’s demands for youngster Ibrahim Mbaye have so far prevented a deal, but it is expected that one of the two will be brought in alongside Barcola to bolster Iraola’s attack.

Like Barcola, Liverpool’s priority needs to be avoided protracted negotiations and ensuring they bring in the best quality replacement for Salah, whether it ends up being Mbaye, Minteh or another unknown option.

Sell Cody Gakpo and the rest of the deadwood

Liverpool’s desire to add wingers comes due to a lack of convincing quality as opposed to needing numbers, with Iraola having plenty of options available to him otherwise.

The likes of Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliot all face uncertain futures going into the final days of the window and all three could be sold before the summer is out.

Although Chiesa and Elliot are not considered key parts of Iraola’s squad, Gakpo’s situation remains more curious amid interest from Tottenham and Manchester City.

Exit talks for Gakpo will likely accelerate if Barcola and another winger arrive and the Dutchman’s departure could be essential in order for Liverpool to comfortably spend on their top targets.

Stop ignoring the key issues in Iraola’s squad

Liverpool are believed to be focusing entirely on wide players to close out the window, with a belief inside the club that they are adequately stocked in defensive midfield and at right-back, much to the frustration of supporters.

Iraola’s midfield was repeatedly exposed by Newcastle in their Premier League opener, with the lack of a specialist defensive option in the middle of the park becoming evident on the counter attack.

Yet Liverpool reportedly have no plans to replace Curtis Jones after his sale to Inter last week and they will also rely on Jeremie Frimpong and the perpetually injured Conor Bradley at right-back despite concerns over their suitability.

It appears as though Liverpool are willing to gamble on fitness and young talent instead of backing their new manager with sufficient quality and depth, meaning the club will have to ensure they sign Barcola and another winger at a minimum in order to silence the growing concerns over the transfer business this summer.

Written by

Suraj Radia | Editor

Suraj Radia is an NCTJ-qualified journalist and editor with more than a decade of experience at some of the biggest sportsdesks and press agencies across the industry. He has been a regular freelance contributor to FootballTransfers since April 2022.

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