Jamie Carragher's view on Bradley Barcola is simple enough. The Liverpool target is a fine player, but he does not solve the squad issue Carragher highlighted on Sky Sports: Liverpool have three players who could play from the left, Rio, Gakpo and Wirtz, and no one who plays from the right. That is the gap he keeps coming back to, not Barcola's quality.

Carragher's squad-balance argument

Carragher was blunt about the fit. "No he plays on the opposite flank! LFC currently have three players who could play from the left in Rio/Gakpo/Wirtz & no one who plays from the right," he said, before adding, "Need a right winger desperately!" He also dismissed the idea that Barcola somehow fixes the whole winger picture by pointing to the left-sided options already at Liverpool.

That is why the pushback matters. Mohamed Salah is still the obvious reference point in this conversation, but Carragher's argument is about structure rather than sentiment. If Liverpool are looking for a direct Salah replacement, he thinks the profile has to be right-sided first.

The fee will decide the rest

The money side is still unresolved. Fabrizio Romano said Liverpool want Barcola, the player is tempted by the move, and personal terms should not be a problem, but club-to-club talks have not reached agreement. He also said PSG will ask for a lot of money.

The valuations show how wide the gap looks. PSG are reportedly demanding around £145 million for Paris Saint Germain's winger, while CIES Football Observatory valued him at around £85 million earlier this week. Barcola's World Cup numbers help explain why the interest is real, too, with a 7.09 rating across 8 appearances and 3 goals in those games. His most recent World Cup outing carried a 7.9 rating.

If Liverpool do move again, the debate will not be about whether Barcola is talented. It will be about whether they are paying elite money for the wrong side of the pitch, and whether someone else in the market, perhaps Maghnes Akliouche, fits the right-wing brief better.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →