Liverpool Unveil New Signing Bradley Barcola
Liverpool Unveil New Signing Bradley Barcola | Liverpool FC/GettyImages
The transfer window is now closed. Liverpool's squad, until January at least, is now set in stone, and what Andoni Iraola has at his disposal is a very talented group of players. This has only been enhanced by the arrival of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman was unveiled on Monday, arriving from £107 million, plus around £16 million in achievable add-ons.
The Reds have been chasing Barcola all summer long, hence why his arrival was more met with relief than the excitement it merits. Nevertheless, supporters are looking forward to seeing the 24 year old in action for the first time. So, will that come at Portman Road on Friday night?
Well, speaking at AXA Training Centre on Thursday morning, during his pre-match press conference, head coach Andoni Iraola confirmed whether or not his newest addition is in contention to feature:
"He will definitely be available for us tomorrow... 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."
Andoni Iraola on Bradley Barcola.
Supporters will certainly like Iraola's line that Barcola "wanted Liverpool a lot", considering other clubs, most notably Arsenal, were also purportedly interested. The key though is "he will definitely be available" for Friday's trip to Ipswich.
When pushed on this later in the media conference, asked directly if Barcola is ready to start, this is what Iraola had to say:
"Good question. I see him in a good place. He has trained for us, it's true he hasn't had minutes in pre-season. He has been training and it's a decision we have to make. But we have to consider he hasn't had minutes in pre-season games."
Andoni Iraola on Bradley Barcola
Considering how open and honest with his answers Iraola has been since the day he was first introduced to the press as Liverpool manager, we can infer from that answer that the manager has not yet decided if the Frenchman can start in Suffolk. Alternatively, perhaps he does not want to give anything away to Tractor Boys' boss Gary O'Neil and his staff.
As Iraola noted, Barcola did not feature at all for Paris Saint-Germain during pre-season, nor in any of the first four fixtures of their competitive campaign. In fact, his last minutes came during he World Cup third place play-off, scoring in Miami as France were beaten 6-4 by England at Hard Rock Stadium. This match was a whopping 47 days ago; for comparison, the date in 47 days is 20 October!
Barcola
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Bronze Final - France v England - Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - July 18, 2026 France's Bradley Barcola scores their second goal IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Sam Navarro | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters
Thus, it seems irresponsible to throw Barcola in from the start, but not implausible. The Reds were willing to spend big because he fills an area of genuine need; wingers. Against Nottingham Forest last weekend, Cody Gakpo started on the right, assisting Alexander Isak goal, with Víctor Muñoz on the left, the Spaniard lashing home a late equaliser in front of the Kop.
Rio Ngumoha is the other option for the wide attacking positions, getting the nod at St James' Park on the opening day, but he has only recently turned 18 years old, so cannot be relied upon all of the time. With Liverpool unable to land any right winger target, namely Yankuba Minteh nor Ismaïla Sarr, the Reds pulled the plug on Gakpo's proposed move to Manchester City.
Thus, perhaps Gakpo will become the first-choice on the right, with Barcola on the left and Florian Wirtz supporting Isak through the middle. Either-way, whether it be from the start or off the bench, the 3,000 Liverpool fans in the Cobbold Stand on Friday are likely to see the Frenchman's debut.
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