Liverpool is chasing “one of the best LWs in Europe”

If Liverpool loses 4-2 to Milan on Saturday afternoon, that means the recruiting team will need to sign the central defender.

The reason is not about the scoreline, but about the situation where the Arne Slot man is on his own.

Joe Gomez went home from Singapore due to injuries. This left Ibou Konate and Virgil Van Dijk as the only proper central defenders.

In fact, Ryan Gravenberch had to play in centre half on Tuesday.

The obvious one coming in is Mark Guehee. Liverpool is religiously linked to the Crystal Palace captain through the summer windows. If Richard Hughes and Steve Parish are talking, a £45 million deal could be on the table.

But that’s not all the excitement right now. The suspense is on the forward line of Alexander Isaac and Liverpool.

What will be next for Liverpool in the transfer market?

The Reds may have welcomed Hugo Ekichike to Anfield last week, but that has not refrigerated interest in Isaac.

Merseysiders are considered to be the forefront of Swedish signatures, but they will have to bid about £150 million before Newcastle United considers selling their valuable assets.

Such money could be funded by selling Lewis Diaz and Darwin Nunes, and if they both depart, another forward feels they need them.

Real Madrid’s winger Rodrigo is linked, but according to ESPN, it is not Hughes’ top target.

In fact, Julian Lawrence said the club’s sports director is reportedly a huge fan of PSG winger Bradley Barcola.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, it’s unlikely that Champions League winners will accept sales. That said, just like Isak, all players have a price.

Why Bradley Barcola is such an exciting signing

Landing Isaac will be an incredible business this summer. This overturns the £116 million deal to bring Florian Wiltz to the UK.

Wirtz has become the most expensive player in Premier League history, but ISAK is set to exceed that number in time.

Many now consider him the best striker in the world, and his final term of 27 goals certainly puts him in that bracket.

He is an emotional player, and in Eddie Howe’s words, someone cuts out of the same fabric as Thierry Henry.

This is not a player Liverpool will necessarily need after Ekitique’s arrival, but he cannot sign this good guy. Only Mo Salah won more than Newcastle Forward’s previous period on the top flight in English.

So, it would require players as exciting as Isaac, but that’s the category that Barcora falls in.

The French certainly proved last season, in the words of analyst Ben Matinson, “one of Europe’s best leftists.” He has since switched to Lyon in Paris, where he has changed from strength to strength.

For the 2024/25 Luis Enrique man, the Frenchman scored 21 goals and supplied 21 assists to his teammates.

In the context, it has two fewer assists than Sarah managed in the same campaign. This is a statistic that reveals the ability to create and score pairings regularly.

Like Sarah, Barcora is an external duel threat, and his stunning ability to defeat players in 1 V1 situations makes him one of the most exciting players on the continent.

Compared to positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues last year, the 22-year-old rank is the best for many metrics.

One of the most creative and progressive wide players, Barcola fits seamlessly into this Liverpool team, ranks in the top 8% of European wingers, top 9% of progressive carry and the highest 2% in the expected target, especially for assists.

In short, he is the demon with the ball at his feet, and regularly climbs the opportunity to reach the top, not just for his teammates but for himself.

He is also ranked favorably in comparison to Diaz, the man he could potentially be replaced, especially in the creative category. Diaz scored 19 times in all competitions, but he only registered eight assists.

Losing the Colombian to Bayern Munich is a blow, but Barcola is a clear upgrade. Like Wirtz & Isak, he will be a transformative arrival into the forward line of the slot.