Barcola-France-World-Cup
Will Bradley Barcola be it for deadline day, or do Liverpool still have an ace up their sleeve heading into the final hours of the window?
Of course, signing the £120m Frenchman wouldn't exactly mark a poor way to round things off for the Merseysiders, but there is still seemingly room for reinforcements in Andoni Iraola's squad.
REUTERS/Vincent Carchietta
Two draws from two in the Premier League have exposed the flaws of this expensively assembled bunch, with time running out to ensure the former Bournemouth boss isn't left short-staffed for the season ahead.
Why Barcola shouldn't be the end of Liverpool's summer spending
Starting with the backline, the sight of Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas in the full-back berths at the close of play on Saturday showcased that all is not well in that department.
Victor-Munoz-Liverpool-Forest
Iraola had stressed that the Hungarian wouldn't be utilised at right-back under his watch, yet with Conor Bradley sidelined and Jeremie Frimpong flattering to deceive, it was a case of needs must as Liverpool chased the game last time out.
It's not as if Szoboszlai is necessarily ripping it up in midfield anyway, however, with there a still debate to be had over the configuration of that central unit, with Ryan Gravenberch having been the man to make way for the clash with Nottingham Forest.
The decision not to sign a genuine defensive midfielder as things stand is one that really could cost Iraola in the long-term, with it yet to be seen whether the faith placed in 19-year-old Trey Nyoni will backfire.
Looking further forward too, the decision to keep hold of Gakpo, alongside signing Barcola, has ensured that there is at least competition for places on the flanks, albeit with both men seemingly at their best on the left.
||
Barcola vs Gakpo - 25/26 League Stats
Barcola
29
21
11
159
15
1
11
1.3
83%
1.2
With Rio Ngumoha also best suited on that side, it might well leave the responsibility on Victor Munoz's shoulders on the right, a dynamic that might well need to change before tonight's deadline.
The signing Liverpool still need to make before the deadline
As reported earlier on on Tuesday, the feeling is that Brighton and Hove Albion's Yankuba Minteh is pushing to make the move to Anfield, albeit with there no sense that the Reds are actively pursuing the Gambian themselves at this stage.
Tell us what you need and we'll find your perfect 2025/26 Premier League transfer target.
Having already seen a £60m bid knocked back for the 22-year-old, that might well prove to be the end of the road, unfortunately, albeit with other targets still on the agenda.
Crystal Palace appear intent on keeping Ismaila Sarr, but Liverpool haven't given up just yet, perhaps, having been working in the early hours of the morning to determine whether they can "reach an agreement", as per Fabrizio Romano, speaking on the Market Madness podcast.
"So Liverpool yesterday were in conversations with Crystal Palace for Ismaila Sarr. So they tried to understand if there was a way in the morning to reach an agreement with Crystal Palace, but Palace absolutely don't want to sell the player.
"They turned down two bids from Galatasaray and the same with one official bid from Liverpool, 50 million pounds - 45 plus 5."
Maybe it'll need a heftier fee to tempt the Eagles into a sale, although there is certainly merit in maintaining their interest in the Senegalese star.
The 28-year-old would be a ready-made, immediate fix on that right flank, in the wake of Mohamed Salah's exit, while also a potential option to rival Alexander Isak through the middle when needed.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
With Hugo Ekitike still sidelined, having a versatile figure like Sarr on board would no doubt be a welcome addition, with the experienced winger fresh from a standout 2025/26 campaign.
In fact, he actually enjoyed a more fruitful year than Barcola did back at Paris Saint-Germain, having scored and assisted 23 goals in 45 games in all competitions for the south London side.
REUTERS/Lee Smith
In Barcola's case, meanwhile, the 23-year-old scored and assisted just 20 goals in 45 games across all fronts, having not exactly been the main man at the Parc des Princes.
More recently too, the World Cup saw Sarr take centre stage for Senegal, the former Watford man scoring four goals in just four appearances in the competition, alongside registering one assist.
Again, for comparison, that was a better record than what Barcola enjoyed for Les Bleus, the ex-Lyon speedster scoring three and assisting one from eight outings in North America.
Sarr might not be the glamour name that supporters are craving, but he's certainly a man with momentum behind him, that's for sure.
Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele with Bradley Barcola during training
Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele with Bradley Barcola during training