Mohamed Salah and Bradley Barcola (Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah and Bradley Barcola (Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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It may seem like slow progress to some but Liverpool's transfer business so far has already tipped close to the £100m mark.
On the back of triggering Victor Munoz's £34.5m release clause at Osasuna last month, Jeremy Jacquet formally arrived on July 1 from Rennes at a cost of £60m.
It means two of the areas in need of reinforcements have been addressed to an extent but there is a feeling that much more is needed to properly supplement the squad and give new head coach Andoni Iraola what he needs to arrest the slump of last season at Anfield.
But do Liverpool target the marquee names and go big on individual talent? Or should they look to beef up the squad with players who will provide more depth?
The ECHO's Liverpool FC writers takes a closer look.
Paul Gorst
It's hard to believe but Arsenal's net spend exceeded Liverpool's last summer, despite the Reds forking out that well-documented figure of around £440m.
That, largely, was down to how Liverpool sold compared to the Gunners, whose record sale still stands at £35m which took Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Anfield nine years ago. The Reds recouped roughly around half of their outlay last summer.
But perhaps Liverpool's bottom was publicised much more because £320m of it was spent on just three players in Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz? That is an eye-watering cost for three players.
Arsenal, in contrast, preferred to bulk out their squad, giving Mikel Arteta the sort of options that allowed him to lead the Londoners to their first title in 22 years.
Should Liverpool now focus on filling out the squad with increased depth or secure big names at a higher cost, which might leave the squad short of numbers?
It's a tough balancing act but when we talk specifically about 'replacing' Mohamed Salah, that can't be achieved effectively by signing a player with potential.
Liverpool need the real deal right now in that particular position and PSG's Bradley Barcola, for me, is the best fit as things stand.
The idea that the France international operates best on the left side is a fair argument but that could see Rio Ngumoha switch to the opposite flank, which is something that has already been floated internally at Anfield.
Ngumoha doesn't have anywhere near Barcola's senior experience, so theoretically, it would be easier to mould him to a new fixed position in the senior setup to allow the Frenchman to perform in his favoured role.
Either way, the Reds need a 'name' to succeed Salah. Elsewhere might be a different proposition.
Mark Jones
There is no need to panic at all, but the transfer window is ticking along and Liverpool need players. Quite a lot of them, in fact.
The Reds should of course try and pull off a deal for a big name to 'replace' Mohamed Salah, even if that job is nigh on impossible. But they also need to conclude swifter, easier deals to bulk out a squad that is in dire need of extra numbers.
Of the wingers on the market Bradley Barcola would be the headline addition, and if the PSG and France star can be attracted - perhaps after a summer in which he has won the World Cup - then that would be a fantastic signing and one that would 'feel' like the Reds had added another superstar. The vibes would be extremely positive.
If the Barcola deal proves too difficult to pull off though, something that seems to be the case, then at least two more wide players have to be added to a squad that was in dire need of extra pace and dynamism last season.
In the modern game the ability to change your wide men during a game has become key, and if Liverpool can stock up on those gamechangers then Andoni Iraola will have the tools at his disposal to make this a successful season.
Those players are out there, even if they aren't the most famous. And if the Barcola chase is a fruitless one then some under the radar moves need to be made.
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