BACK
David Tully Jul 20th 2026
Alan Shearer says Liverpool could make a “big” statement if they sign Bournemouth’s Rayan as Mo Salah’s replacement.
The Reds have had a very slow start to the summer transfer window, and Shearer thinks that, along with Rayan, Andoni Iraola’s side may need to make further high-profile additions to the squad:
“Liverpool are going to have to make two or three big signings, and that would start them off nicely. They were pretty awful last year, weren’t they, in terms of where they wanted to be. So, they have to go out, and they have to sign.”
“They’re going to have to replace Salah, aren’t they, on that side. So Rayan obviously worked with Iraola last year, and he’s clearly going on to big things. That would be a big one for Liverpool.”
Is a move for Rayan realistic?
It was reported last week that Liverpool have made some enquiries about the Brazilian international. As Shearer points out, he has worked with Iraola before, with the Spaniard said to be a big fan of the player.
However, Bournemouth only signed Rayan in January, and the Merseysiders would probably have to pay well over the odds to secure his signature before the end of the transfer window.
Are Liverpool looking at other forwards?
Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola remains a “concrete” target, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano. There were concerns that Arsenal could hijack the move, having lost out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea.
However, so far, the Gunners have not made an approach (formal or informal) for the Frenchman. He won’t be cheap, with PSG expected to demand between £100m and £110m for the winger.
Furthermore, unlike Rayan, who is a left-footed right winger, Barcola would not be a like-for-like replacement for Salah either. He prefers to play off the left flank.
Want more news on Liverpool? Add Walk On as a preferred source on Google
David Tully
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.