Liverpool are ready to throw Bradley Barcola straight in following his blockbuster transfer with Andoni Iraola eyeing a Friday night debut provided he trains well
Bradley Barcola could make his debut at Portman Road on Monday night
Bradley Barcola could make his debut at Portman Road on Monday night
View 2 Images
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has backed Bradley Barcola to be available to make his debut on Friday after hailing his desire to move to Anfield.
The Frenchman became the Reds' marquee signing of the summer when he finally moved from PSG in a deal worth £123million following a summer-long transfer chase.
It had looked as if the European champions were going to price out Liverpool such was their hefty valuation, but an agreement was eventually struck and Barcola has become the third £100m-plus-player to move to Merseyside inside the last two summers.
Iraola was keen to bolster his forward line and, despite being absent for PSG amid his uncertain future, the Liverpool boss has stated that a positive training session on Thursday will see him poised to make his first outing for his new team when they head to Ipswich on Friday night.
He said: "We are very happy with Bradley, it was our priority to sign a very very good player in those positions. He has come also with the right mentality. I like that he wanted Liverpool a lot. He wanted to come here.
"It's a good first sign and being the player he is he has come with the willingness to help us. He is playing well for us and if everything goes well in training today he will definitely be available for us tomorrow."
Barcola arrives off the back of helping PSG retain their Champions League crown - just the second team in history to do so. The 24-year-old scored 13 times last season, including a stellar strike against Chelsea in west London, and will seek to help Liverpool win for the first time this season after successive 2-2 draws.
Bradley Barcola
Liverpool eventually sealed a deal for Bradley Barcola(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
The Frenchman's signing does present Iraola with some selection headaches given the wealth of talent now available to him. Liverpool are determined to get a tune out of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, two men who have underwhelmed since arriving but have commanded starts so far this term.
Barcola's debut could come at the expense of either Cody Gakpo, who scored at Newcastle but saw a move away from Anfield curtailed, or Rio Ngumoha, the teenage sensation who is seeking more opportunities.
Fellow summer signing Victor Munoz scored last week but the competition for places could see him start from the bench.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.