Liverpool's Salah Replacement Plan: Barcola Pressure Mounts
Liverpool are ramping up pressure to sign PSG's Bradley Barcola as their Mohamed Salah replacement. The Frenchman's stats from last season show exactly why Liverpool are so keen.
The Man Tipped to Replace Salah
With Mohamed Salah gone from Anfield, Liverpool have a serious gap to fill out wide. The name they've settled on is PSG's Bradley Barcola. According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are preparing to pay what could be one of the largest fees in the club's history to land the 23-year-old Frenchman.
While PSG publicly maintain Barcola isn't for sale, reports suggest the winger has expressed concerns to manager Luis Enrique over his reduced role at the Parc des Princes. Falling behind Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the pecking order is said to be a key factor in his openness to a move.
Iraola's Direct Signal: "We Definitely Need a Winger"
Speaking during Liverpool's pre-season tour, new manager Andoni Iraola confirmed that signing a winger is a clear necessity this summer. That statement suggests the Barcola pursuit isn't just speculation — it's a priority the manager himself has signed off on.
According to Liverpool specialist David Lynch, the key to forcing PSG's hand is putting together an offer strong enough to make holding onto Barcola untenable. Lynch also noted that the eye-watering fees initially floated could well come down through negotiation.
The Numbers Behind the Interest
According to StatsLook data, Barcola made 46 appearances for PSG in 2025/2026, contributing 13 goals and 5 assists — 18 goal involvements in total. His 12.6 xG suggests this output is no fluke; he's consistently getting into quality scoring positions.
Digging into his per-90 numbers, Barcola ranks 2nd among Ligue 1 left wingers in key passes (2.10 per 90). He also sits 3rd in the league in expected goals (0.41 xG per 90), pointing to a player who combines finishing with genuine playmaking. His placement in big chances created (0.43, top 4% of the league) suggests he could realistically fill the creative void Salah leaves behind.
His defensive contribution stands out too: he ranks in the top 9% of the league in tackles (1.57 per 90), showing he's not purely an attacking asset but contributes to pressing and recovery work as well. He ranks lower in ball recoveries (28th) and duels won (21st), suggesting his game leans more on technical and creative strengths than physical ones.
What This Means for Liverpool
The numbers show Barcola has genuine potential to fill the void Salah leaves behind: strong goal involvement, elite key-pass output, and a knack for creating big chances — exactly the kind of production Liverpool are looking for out wide. Whether the deal actually happens comes down to PSG's stance on a sale and just how "outrageous" Liverpool's offer needs to be.
This article is based on reporting published by TEAMtalk. Statistics sourced from the StatsLook database.
