Arne Slot. Should he stay or should he go? The narrative has droned on and on and on at Liverpool this season, but in fairness, this has been a rather abject year for the Premier League champions.
Liverpool certainly won't be champions for much longer, and if Bournemouth beat Manchester City on Tuesday evening, fears of falling out of the Champions League zone on the final day of the season could be realised.
That would do nothing to placate the Slot Out Brigade, but Chelsea's appointment of Xabi Alonso is an illustration of FSG's faith in the Dutch manager, who delivered Anfield a Premier League title with such confidence last year.
Arne Slot's Premier League Record
24/25
38
25
9
4
86
41
84 (2.21)
Let's move forward with the premise that Slot stays. Liverpool need signings this summer, and while Mohamed Salah's imminent departure will crank up the transfer volume on the right, the Reds would be wise not to neglect the left wing.
Champions League forward wants to sign for Liverpool
The transfer window. It can save all. Exciting signings can also prove a false dawn, as Liverpool found out last year after their record-breaking spending spree.
This summer will be different - but no less important for a withered Anfield whose hopes surely rely on a number of calculated signings in attack and midfield and defence (and if Alisson Becker leaves, between the sticks too).
Out on the left, Cody Gakpo has flattered to deceive this season. That the Dutchman has started so many games is an indictment of Liverpool's imbalanced attack, limited after Luis Diaz was sold to Bayern Munich last August for £65.5m.
However, this is one of the mistakes that sporting director Richard Hughes is determined to rectify. According to reports in France, Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is increasingly sold on the idea of moving to Merseyside this summer. Indeed, he is said to be 'even more tempted' to join Liverpool after appearing keen on the idea of a switch last summer.
bradley-barcola-france-world-cup-qualifiers
It's noted that Liverpool are 'ready to pay the price' necessary to get him out of PSG, so it's fair to say that this story has legs.
Liverpool could sign one of the most talented left wingers in the world here, with figures worth £62m mooted as the Frenchman reaches a contractual impasse with his employers.
Could this hamper the development of Rio Ngumoha? Potentially, but Liverpool need more firepower, and they would be foolish to pull the plug on this one.
Why signing Barcola could be bad news for Ngumoha
In the 17-year-old Ngumoha, Liverpool have a superstar in the making, but for all his thrilling quality on the ball, capering down the left wing, he's still young, and Slot harbours reservations over giving him free license down the left.
If Slot oversees the acquisition of Barcola, it would dampen Ngumoha's chances of playing a prominent role next season, for sure. But Liverpool desperately need world-class quality, and the France star has been described as "one of the best wingers in the world" by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson.
In light of another Frenchman's departure from PSG, journalist Robin Bairner described Barcola as the "next [Kylian] Mbappe", and he certainly lived up to that last season, posting 21 goals and 21 assists across all competitions as Luis Enrique's side ran rampant.
This year, the 23-year-old hasn't quite had the same effect, but his ability has not been diminished; injuries and the friendly rivalry with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have had an impact there.
Barcola is one of the best in the business. His pace and willingness to drive into the danger area is something that Ngumoha has treated Liverpool fans to this season. It is certainly a more nuanced and exciting style than that of Gakpo, too one-dimensional and predictable.
Ngumoha offers a similar kind of skillset, but he's far from the finished product, even if he outshines his Liverpool peers every time he features at the moment.
The teenager still hasn't turned 18, and for that, Liverpool need to adapt and sign an alternative who can provide Slot with a higher, more complete brand of wide forward. It's been too big an issue this season to not sort out over the summer months.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola
Barcola is the real deal, unique in his ability to produce skilful moments that bely his rangy 6 feet tall frame. Whether he would prove detrimental to Ngumoha's development is another thing.
Perhaps in the short term, the youngster wouldn't earn the minutes he is searching for, but it would only improve this wobbly Liverpool side.
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