REUTERS
Liverpool are close to finishing their summer rebuild in the wide positions. Mohamed Salah has left the club after an illustrious nine-year spell on Merseyside; Cody Gakpo is being heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and Bradley Barcola is set to sign for £120 million.
Salah left a gaping hole in the Reds' side with regard to creativity, goal threat and dribbling ability. The Egyptian has been the most productive player at Anfield over each of the last nine seasons, and replacing his output certainly won't be easy. Even if he showed signs of decline last season, he was still a vital contributor to Arne Slot's team.
Meanwhile, the Reds evidently don't feel that Gakpo is capable of stepping up to the plate in Salah's absence. He's been mooted as a target for Tottenham the entire summer, but now looks to be on the cusp of a late move to Manchester City.
Barcola will officially sign for Liverpool this week and will undoubtedly bring a lot to Andoni Iraola's side. However, tasking him with replacing both Salah and Gakpo's production is a big ask.
With that said, GIVEMESPORT have decided to compare the three players' statistics from the 2025/26 season.
Goal Threat
cody gakpo
Interesting, Barcola emerges with the most impressive goalscoring stats. Not only does he take more shots, accumulate more expected goals and hit the target more often than his counterparts, but he also finished the season with more league goals than the two men he's replacing. That said, there is an obvious caveat that needs to be taken into account.
Barcola was playing in the dominant super team within his league, while Salah and Gakpo were playing for a stale Arne Slot team, in a much more challenging division with a lot more parity. He's unlikely to replicate these numbers in the Premier League.
Bradley Barcola Liverpool
Bradley Barcola Liverpool
That said, it's clear from his data that his blistering pace and intelligent movement do see him get into dangerous positions consistently. Meanwhile, Gakpo struggled a lot more at getting into dangerous areas and was arguably too willing to take pot shots from poor positions.
Salah is a mix between the two, with his goal-scoring numbers dropping substantially compared to previous seasons. This is probably a symptom of declining athleticism as much as anything else.
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Statistical Comparison 2025/26 (League Only)
Stat
Goals
Shots per 90
Non-Penalty Expected Goals per 90
Shots on target per 90
Chance Creation
Gonzalo Fuentes via Reuters
When it comes to laying on opportunities for teammates, Barcola once again comes out on top, even if not on the surface. The Frenchman managed just one league assist last season, but this didn't tell the whole story.
He put up impressive underlying numbers in this aspect of the game, but his teammates simply weren't burying the chances he created for them. Salah was typically creative, and adjusting for the respective league strength, he probably wins this battle overall.
The Egypt international's creative passing from the right-hand side went under the radar throughout his time at Liverpool, and Barcola could learn a thing or two from him, in terms of slowing down when making the final pass. Gakpo's creative numbers pale in comparison to both, and this will concern City fans ahead of the potential move.
Statistical Comparison 2025/26 (League Only)
Stat
Assists
Chances Created per 90
Expected Assists per 90
Big Chances Created per 90
Possession
REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Wingers can't just be solely focused on the final action. While how often they contribute to goals is how they'll ultimately be judged, how much they contribute to their team's possession throughout 90 minutes is also extremely important.
There have been some concerns that Barcola doesn't offer enough in settled possession, and that he's too much of a helter-skelter runner who only comes alive in the final third.
However, his possession numbers suggest this shouldn't actually be an issue, beating both Gakpo and Salah across all metrics in this department. The Netherlands international's general knack for spending a lot of the game on the periphery is another worry for Citizens supporters.
Mohamed Salah in action for Trabzonspor
Mohamed Salah in action for Trabzonspor
Salah is heavily involved in the game, but he's never been a particularly prolific dribbler, and his numbers in this area declined even more last season. Gakpo is also a below-average dribbler, while Barcola is promising in this aspect, although a drop-off can be expected in a new league.
Statistical Comparison 2025/26 (League Only)
Stat
Touches per 90
Passes Completed per 90
Pass Accuracy
Dribbles Completed per 90
Conclusion
REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Despite his decline last season, Salah was still producing better numbers than someone like Gakpo, who looks to be heading to another top club, which clearly suggests he's at a good level. However, the 34-year-old's output is only likely to decline as he continues to get older, and it was therefore right for him and Liverpool to part company this summer.
Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Barcola's data is encouraging across the board. He's an exceptionally well-rounded individual who should bring a lot to the table at Anfield. That said, he's unlikely to reproduce the production he showed in France in the Premier League.
How much his numbers fall off is an open question, but Reds fans will need to be prepared for some teething issues with their new signing as he acclimates to a new and more physically intense league. All they have to do is look at how Florian Wirtz fared in his debut campaign in England.