Liverpool will have to look at alternatives to Yan Diomande this summer after he decided against a move to Anfield, and one option has been backed to be a perfect fit for the Reds
20:30, 09 Jul 2026
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 30: Yan Diomande #11 of Côte d'Ivoire during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Group E Runners Up and Group I Runner-Up at Dallas Stadium on June 30, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Liverpool will have to look at alternatives to Yan Diomande this summer(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool has been given more encouragement to sign Bradley Barcola this summer, with the Reds told the World Cup star could be the ideal replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Barcola is one of the names being linked as an alternative to Yan Diomande. The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger had been Liverpool’s primary target for much of the summer, with the Reds having made it clear it was willing to do a deal for around $115 million.
The teenager looks to have taken himself out of the running for a move to Anfield though, having decided he’d rather join Paris Saint-Germain instead, leaving Liverpool to look for a different option.
Among the four names being considered, Barcola is the most high-profile. The PSG winger is currently with France at the World Cup, where he will be aiming to add a first international title to his Champions League and Ligue 1 crowns.
There are doubts over whether he will actually be made available by his current club, and if he is, it has been suggested that Liverpool would have to shell out even more than it was willing to pay for Diomande.
Nevertheless, former France international Louis Saha has suggested he would be worth the money, with Barcola offering more than just an option on the right wing.
Bradley Barcola (France) during Round of 16 FIFA World Cup 2026, Paraguay and France, Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, United States on July 04 2026. (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Bradley Barcola could be an option for Liverpool to replace Mohamed Salah(Image: Getty Images)
"Barcola is a terrific player," Saha told LiveFootballTickets. "He has already won two Champions Leagues, and he could even win the World Cup over the next few weeks; his achievements for such a young player are staggering.
"He has become a much improved player over the past few seasons, he gets better and better every year, and he can go right to the very top of football.
"What Barcola needs is to move somewhere where he is going to be first choice in his position week in, week out. His confidence will improve tenfold once that happens, and then he will be a way more dangerous player.
"He has enormous potential, and I’m not surprised Liverpool are looking at him. They need a replacement for Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo has looked uncomfortable at times for them out wide.
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"Barcola could easily fill either of those positions. He is so direct, creative, and he has the ability to go in behind, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bidding war for him go on all summer."
Liverpool has received more encouragement over a potential move for Barcola this week, with suggestions that its main rival for his signature is looking elsewhere.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal is prioritizing Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers instead, despite there being a “serious possibility” that Barcola will leave PSG this summer.