Liverpool's Summer Rebuild: More Than Just Barcola and Mbaye
Julien Laurens has warned that Liverpool’s summer rebuild in attack cannot stop at Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye – not while Mohamed Salah is gone and the centre-forward picture looks so thin.
The Reds are pushing hard in Paris, with Barcola identified as the marquee replacement for Salah and team-mate Mbaye also firmly on the radar as part of a potential double swoop from Paris Saint-Germain. Club officials are already in the French capital trying to thrash out terms, with both players currently frozen out at PSG while their futures are resolved.
On Sky Sports (17:45, Tuesday, August 18), Laurens was asked whether landing Mbaye as well as Barcola would effectively complete Liverpool’s attacking business. His answer was blunt: not if they want real depth through the middle.
“I still think that until [Hugo] Ekitike comes back from injury – it’s a long one, we’re not sure exactly when it will be – they probably need a back up to Alexander Isak. Especially if Cody Gakpo goes,” he said.
Strip it back and the concern is obvious. Lose Gakpo and Liverpool are suddenly hanging almost everything on Isak as a pure No.9.
“You’re only left really with Isak as your nine,” Laurens continued. “Ok, you could look at [Federico] Chiesa, you could look at maybe other options like a [Dominik] Szoboszlai as a false nine, or Curtis Jones as a false nine.
“But I still think they would need a backup striker there until Ekitike comes back.
“It could be a loan, it could be like the [Ronald] Araujo deal they did for the defence.”
So while Barcola and Mbaye would inject pace and variety in wide areas, Laurens believes the squad still lacks a natural alternative to Isak in the box, at least until Ekitike returns from his long-term lay-off.
And that’s not his only red flag.
“Then also that midfield needs a bit of a rebuild, especially for the way Iraola wants to play, very different to Arne Slot. I’m not sure right now this midfield is exactly what he would want.”
In other words, Liverpool’s refresh is not just about replacing Salah’s goals and threat from the right. It’s about reshaping the spine for a coach with a very different blueprint.
Liverpool chasing ‘double discount’ in Paris
The numbers involved underline how big a gamble this window could be.
PSG value Barcola at around £145million. Add Mbaye on top and Liverpool are staring at an enormous outlay for two attackers in one hit. There is growing optimism, though, that both prices can be driven down.
The expectation is that Barcola’s fee could drop to about £125million, with Mbaye potentially available for as little as £30million. Together, that would put the package at roughly £155million – still huge, but a figure Liverpool believe they can justify if both players become key pillars of the next era.
TEAMtalk have reported that Liverpool officials are already in Paris trying to close the deals. There is still a gap in valuations, and negotiations remain delicate, but the Reds are hopeful they can push them over the line before the window shuts.
The fact that both Barcola and Mbaye have been frozen out by PSG while talks continue is a significant factor. It signals that the French champions are prepared to move them on, and it strengthens Liverpool’s hand as they haggle over the final numbers.
What it doesn’t do is solve everything.
If Liverpool do land Barcola and Mbaye, a permanent centre-forward signing becomes highly unlikely given the financial commitment already made. At that point, any move for a striker would almost certainly have to be a short-term loan, and those are notoriously difficult to pull off late in the window.
Laurens’ warning hangs over the whole operation: splash out on two wide forwards, neglect the No.9 position, and Liverpool could enter the season one injury away from a serious problem at the top of the pitch.
