Liverpool are reportedly ‘ready to ramp up their interest’ in Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola and new manager Andoni Iraola might have dropped a hint about how he sees the 23-year-old fitting in with his system.
The Reds are understood to be preparing a first transfer bid for Barcola, with some reports suggesting that the back-to-back European champions might allow him to move to Anfield for a fee in the region of £100 million.
Barcola joined PSG from Lyon three years ago and has had a huge impact, playing himself into national team contention while winning enough Ligue 1 titles, Champions League finals and cup winner’s medals to satisfy most players for a lifetime.
Liverpool’s win over Wrexham hints at hope for Barcola deal
With all worlds conquered, Barcola and PSG appear to be willing to part ways in pursuit of new challenges. It’s an exciting prospect for Reds supporters but the idea is somewhat tarnished by the subsequent question mark of the future of popular teenage winger Rio Ngumoha.
He made his senior debut for England prior to the World Cup and limiting his playing time in favour of a new signing isn’t what most Liverpool fans would have on their agenda for the new season.
Ngumoha scored the only goal of Liverpool’s friendly win against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night and eagle-eyed observers noted that there would have been room in Iraola’s second-half line-up, which also featured Curtis Jones, Jeremie Frimpong, Kieran Morrison and unexpected loan returnee Harvey Elliott.
“The 17-year-old's deflected goal in New York kept up the team's perfect record so far and his deployment off the right, having played almost exclusively off the left previously, serves to highlight what could come next for Iraola,” suggests The Mirror.
“There have been clamours for Ngumoha to play more regularly, but he and Barcola, another left-sided forward, could've been in a scenario whereby they were battling for the same spot.
“Liverpool are ready to ramp up their interest in the PSG man, whose exit from the European Champions is looking all the more likely, and Ngumoha's impressive cameo off the right shows that he and the Frenchman could play in tandem either side of a striker, whoever that may be.”
Liverpool have already added Victor Munoz to the fold and former Reds defender Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Barcola would be the right addition to a team that has Ngumoha, Munoz and Cody Gakpo, but no Mohamed Salah.
“Liverpool's big thing that stands out like a sore thumb right now is replacing Mo Salah, a right winger,” Carragher told Sky Sports News.
“I don't think Liverpool have got anybody really in the squad who looks fully comfortable playing right wing.
“They probably have at least four players in the squad before Barcola joins, if he joins, who could play on the left-hand side comfortably.”
