Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey had some words of advice for his old club in the transfer market
Adam Wharton has been tipped for a move to Liverpool as the ideal replacement for World Cup finalist and 2022 winner Alexis Mac Allister
Adam Wharton has been tipped for a move to Liverpool as the ideal replacement for World Cup finalist and 2022 winner Alexis Mac Allister
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(Image: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock)
Liverpool have been encouraged to be proactive in the transfer market to revamp a midfield department that struggled last season - with one exciting Premier League star tipped to replace Alexis Mac Allister.
Mac Allister, like many of his team-mates, suffered a poor campaign by his standards last time out as Liverpool limped to Champions League qualification, but played a pivotal role in helping Argentina to a second successive World Cup final, which they lost 1-0 in extra-time to Spain on Sunday.
The 27-year-old is now in the final two years of his current Reds contract and no talks have yet been held over an extension, with speculation over a move to Real Madrid still hanging around.
Emile Heskey believes Liverpool can upgrade on Mac Allister, and signing a midfielder who can compete for a first-choice position should be a priority for the remainder of the transfer window.
Asked for a player he would like to see join his former club, Heskey explained what he felt were the most urgent areas for improvement.
"Well, centre-back is definitely a role that needs addressing with Ibrahima Konate gone now," said Heskey, "though we've got the young lad - Gio [Giovanni] Leoni – coming back through who was injured. They also have Jeremy Jacquet who joined this summer.
"I also think Liverpool could do with a midfielder, to be honest with you. I think Alexis Mac Allister is fantastic, but they need someone who can rival him or even take his place - maybe Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace.
"He missed out at the World Cup but his time will come."
Wharton was a surprise exclusion from England's World Cup squad, a decision which looked even more confusing in the taxing latter stages of the tournament as Thomas Tuchel rarely deviated from his first-choice pairing of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson.
Wharton managed a career-best seven assists from 53 appearance in all competitions this season, and has impressed at current club Crystal Palace for his vision and passing range.
Spanish outlet AS claimed on Saturday that Liverpool had made the Blackburn Rovers academy graduate their "priority target" for the midfield this summer.
Given the recent transfer fees agreed for Anderson and his England team-mate Morgan Rogers to Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, Wharton would likewise be expected to cost at least £100m.
Heskey also had a word of advice for the Reds on who should be the first-choice option to strengthen on the wings.
Liverpool look set to miss out on Yan Diomande, for whom they saw an £86m bid rejected by current club RB Leipzig earlier in the summer, after the Ivorian appeared to indicate his preference to sign for European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
"If I'm honest, I'd go for [Bradley] Barcola," said Heskey, who scored 60 goals in 223 appearances for the Reds. "For the way Liverpool play, the club he's currently at, and the tactical style he's accustomed to, it just matches perfectly.
"He is incredibly direct, and that directness and raw energy on the left wing is something Liverpool have arguably been missing since Luis Diaz left. Diomande is a very strong prospect… whereas Barcola gives you that true attacking threat out wide."
Bradley Barcola #12 of France reacts after the 4-6 loss during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Bronze Final between France and England
Bradley Barcola continues to be linked with a potential transfer to Liverpool this summer(Image: Sarah Stier - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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The France international is under consideration by deal-makers at Anfield as the Reds look to move on from Mohamed Salah, with negotiations over a new contract at PSG having stalled amid speculation over a potential exit should Diomande join the Parisian club.
Asked how Liverpool could convince Barcola to make the switch to Merseyside, with Premier League champions Arsenal also reported to be interested, Heskey felt the 23-year-old had already seen everything he needed to make the decision.
"The pitch is the sheer history of the club and the direction it's heading," Heskey said to 10bet. "You tell him about the icons who came before him on that pitch, and you tell him that he could be the next iconic figure to lift that club up to winning the league again.
"It's the absolute best crowd to play in front of, to be completely honest with you. He would only need to come and experience one match there and he'd be completely hooked.
"Hasn't he already played there with PSG? He will understand the magic of Anfield, and hopefully, he will want more of that because it's completely unique."
After France's World Cup journey came to an end with a 6-4 defeat to England in the 'Bronze Final', formerly known as the third-place play-off, the strength of Liverpool's interest is likely to become clearer with the Reds still expected to strengthen in several key areas before the transfer window closes on September 1.