The timing is awkward, but the job is obvious. Liverpool are in a transition period in the boardroom, the dugout and the attack, and the most important question hovering over the squad is the simplest one: who replaces Mohamed Salah?
That is not a luxury debate. It is the kind of task that shapes a season before a ball has even been kicked. Salah’s goals will be missed, and the problem is made sharper by the fact that Hugo Ekitike is recovering with an Achilles injury, leaving the forward options light. In other words, Liverpool need more than vague interest and a watchlist. They need a plan.
Barcola is the name that stands out
According to The Athletic, PSG’s Bradley Barcola is admired and Liverpool are continuing to monitor his situation. That is the clearest sign yet that the club are serious about landing a high-end wide option rather than simply patching the gap and hoping the numbers sort themselves out later.
And that matters, because the stakes are enormous. Replacing Salah is not about finding a player who can merely fill a shirt. It is about finding someone who can carry threat, goals and end product without slowing the attack down. That is a brutal standard, but it is the one Liverpool have created for themselves by losing a player of Salah’s stature.
The list is wider than one name
Barcola is not the only wide player on the radar. The Athletic reports that other possible alternatives include Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh, Said El Mala of Koln and Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo. That list tells its own story. Liverpool are not yet locked into a single solution, which is sensible, but it also underlines how much work still has to be done.
The World Cup has put a chunk of transfer business on hold, so the weeks ahead are expected to be busier, with the tournament coming to a close on Sunday. That delay explains some of the pause, but it does not erase the urgency. The sooner Liverpool can find a replacement for Salah, the better.
Iraola’s clean slate changes the tone
All of this is also happening with Andoni Iraola handing every player a clean slate at the club. That is the right starting point for a new head coach, but clean slates only matter if the squad is actually strengthened in the right places. Right now, Liverpool do not need vague optimism. They need clarity, decisiveness and a forward line that looks fit for purpose.
This is where the next few weeks will matter most. The tournament is ending, the market is about to move, and Liverpool’s next attacking move will say plenty about how seriously they are treating the Salah problem. Barcola may be admired. Minteh, El Mala and Fernandez-Pardo may all be under consideration. But admiration is not recruitment. Liverpool need action.
