For the first time after his summer appointment, Andoni Iraola led out his Liverpool side last night and secured a 4-2 victory over fellow Premier League side, Sunderland.
Goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas secured victory in Nashville and secured the perfect start for the Spaniard.
After the final whistle, the 44-year-old spoke to the media and sent out a demand to his players, stating: “Keep pushing, don’t relax, don’t stay comfortable, we have things to improve.”
He will certainly be happy with the first showing from his side, but he will still desperately want reinforcements in one area of the Reds’ senior squad.
Why Liverpool need a player of Barcola’s calibre this summer
Out of Liverpool’s front four which started last night’s win over Sunderland, only Rio Ngumoha was a part of the senior squad which finished fifth in the Premier League last term.
Morrison, Harvey Elliott and Will Wright started the clash against the Black Cats, with the average age of the starting frontline just 19 years and two months.
Mohamed Salah’s departure has only highlighted the need for added attacking signings, which could see Bradley Barcola make a summer move to Anfield.
The French star has appeared on the Reds’ radar over recent months and has been touted with a deal over the £100m mark ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Bradley Barcola – Ligue 1 stats (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | Tally |
Games played | 29 |
Goals & assists | 12 |
Pass accuracy | 84% |
Chances created | 1.7 |
Dribble success | 41% |
Shots taken | 3.4 |
Shot on target accuracy | 46% |
Cross success | 20% |
A move for the 23-year-old would hand Iraola the attacking quality he craves, with the French international netting 13 goals and laying on eight assists for his teammates.
He carried his excellent form over into the recent World Cup for Didier Deschamps’ men, subsequently scoring three times from just four starts.
Barcola also played a huge part in PSG winning back-to-back Champions League titles – something which Iraola would love to emulate during his time on Merseyside.
How Liverpool can land a bigger talent than Barcola this summer
Alongside Barcola, a whole host of attacking players have appeared on Liverpool’s transfer shortlist – as FSG look to back the new manager for his first season at the helm.
Yan Diomande has been touted as the Reds’ main forward transfer target this summer, but a move for the RB Leipzig star looks dead and buried – as the Ivorian prefers a move to PSG or Real Madrid.
However, other options are still being considered ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior emerging as a surprise target for Iraola’s men.
It’s been reported by TEAMtalk that the Brazilian’s representatives have been in fresh transfer talks with the Reds over the possibility of a switch to Anfield.
They also claim Arsenal and Manchester City are showing the strongest interest in the 26-year-old, who could be available at a cut price with just one year remaining on his current deal.
Valued at £136m by reports in Spain, he’s been a player who has constantly starred at the top-level of European football over recent seasons, also winning the Champions League on two separate occasions.
When comparing his stats to those of Barcola from the 2025/26 campaign, Vini Jr managed to outperform the PSG attacker in countless key attacking areas.
The Brazilian managed to complete a staggering tally of 2.8 successful dribbles per 90, a figure which is nearly two times higher than that of the Frenchman.
Such a tally also places him in the top 3% of all attackers across Europe’s top-five leagues, which could hand Iraola a direct threat to his attack on Merseyside.
He also managed to put the end product onto his mazy runs in LaLiga, as seen by his impressive tally of 21 combined goals and assists – a figure nearly double that of Barcola.
Vinicius’ tally of 2.2 chances created per 90 further highlights his tremendous ability in forward areas – which also places him in the top 4% of players in Europe’s top-five leagues.
Like the Frenchman, he starred at the World Cup – subsequently scoring four times in his five appearances and backing up Rio Ferdinand’s claim that he’s “world-class.”
There’s no denying Liverpool would have to spend a small fortune on landing Vinicius’ signature this summer, but it’s a move which could land the club a top-level operator for many years to come.
Barcola would also be an upgrade on the options currently available to Iraola, but with the availability of the Real Madrid star, the hierarchy should be going all in for this summer.
