Arsenal have also been linked with Barcola, and though their focus is currently locked on an ambitious move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius, Liverpool can’t leave themselves open to being hijacked by their Premier League rivals. The good news for the Anfield faithful is that Iraola is well aware of the urgency of the situation.
“There are obvious situations where we need to sign players. Winger for example, we definitely need to sign a winger,” the Liverpool boss admitted to reporters last month. Munoz can go straight into Salah’s old spot on the right, and getting Barcola on the opposite side would make the frontline look, on paper at least, fearsome again.
Isak would certainly benefit from having the Frenchman as his main link-man, and his intelligent runs could create more space for Florian Wirtz to sprinkle his magic in the No.10 slot. Barcola is also an ideal match for Iraola’s counter-attacking approach with his frightening acceleration and technical prowess.
Perhaps most crucially, there’s very little danger of Barcola being overawed by the pressure of life at Anfield or a nine-figure transfer fee. He’s a back-to-back Champions League winner who also made his mark at the World Cup, registering four goal contributions for France, and he plays with the swagger of a generational talent.
If Liverpool want to be back among the big boys, they have to make big moves, and snapping up Barcola would be a major statement of intent. On the flip side of the coin, a cautious withdrawal from the race would leave Iraola facing an uphill battle to correct his new team’s issues on the left flank, with the 2026-27 campaign already on the horizon.
