Liverpool edge closer to confirming £72m deal | OneFootball

Liverpool have been at the centre of attention for some time now.

Before the 2026-27 summer transfer window even opened, the Anfield outfit were expected to undergo many changes throughout their ranks.

Several areas among their first-team squad needed upgrading which is what led many fans to believe that another rebuild was on its way.

However, thanks to many different things, that has been far from the case and now, it feels like the Reds are in limbo.

Many members of their first-team squad are being linked with moves away and, since there's only around a month left of the transfer window, decisions on the future of those players will need to be made as soon as possible.

If Liverpool sign Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo would become his back-up

One of the main areas that Liverpool are going to struggle reinforcing this summer is their attack.

Hugo Ekitike is out of action until at least January and, with Mohamed Salah now a Trabzonspor player, it's clear that a replacement for the Egyptian King will need to be signed.

Many attackers have been linked with a move to Liverpool but, the vast majority of them seem to be left-wingers, rather than right-wingers.

In the grand scheme of things, this isn't much of an issue as versatility is one of the key aspects of a players game now but, if they want someone to hit the ground running and fill Salah's void, they need a natural right-winger among their ranks.

So, with all of this in mind, the fact that Cody Gakpo would become Bradley Barcola's back-up if Liverpool signed him this season isn't all that surprising.

"Bradley Barcola would be signed to play left wing for Liverpool, not the Salah replacement," Anfield Sector shared via X.

"He would come in ahead of Cody Gakpo in the pecking order should a deal be agreed with PSG, with negotiations progressing slowly but the PSG hierarchy currently unwilling to compromise on a €150m+ valuation."

Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets

Open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater.

18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

£30 FREECLAIM NOW

Bradley Barcola would be a massive upgrade on Cody Gakpo

During the 2024-25 season, Gakpo was one of Liverpool's best attackers.

The left-winger was fighting with Luis Diaz for a starting role and had one of his best-ever seasons as a Liverpool player.

And, even though he started the 2025-26 season off as Liverpool's only left-winger, he somehow got worse and was terrible for most of the campaign.

This led to fans demanding that Rio Ngumoha started over the Dutchman and, in the end, Slot gave in and allowed to youngster to start a few games.

From that point on, links with several left-wingers have emerged and, of the lot, it's clear that Barcola would be the best option.

Not only did he contribute to 20 goals across all competitions last term but, he also played across the front three which makes him a lot more versatile than Gakpo.

There are obviously still a lot of moving parts that could affect the deal but, if Liverpool can swap Gakpo for Barcola, it's a move that they should definitely sanction.