Dream Liverpool attack for 2026/27 as £125million man starts and Barcola replaces Salah

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Andoni Iraola’s search for Mohamed Salah’s successor continues, but Liverpool may have just received a huge boost in their pursuit of top target Bradley Barcola. The Reds' right-wing position is yet to be filled with Liverpool's season-opener against Newcastle less than a month away.

The Reds boss had targeted RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande with Liverpool's offer of £85million swiftly rejected by the Bundesliga side . Attention then turned towards Barcola, 23, who had played second fiddle to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for parts of last season at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Frenchman has been an important player for the Champions League winners in the past two campaigns but has reportedly rejected a contract renewal with the Ligue 1 champions . In the midst of his uncertain future, news broke this week that Barcola had clinched a verbal agreement to join the Reds .

However, landing the highly sought-after Frenchman will carry a massive financial burden, with PSG setting his asking price at £140million. The Reds are reluctant to meet that figure, which would smash the club's transfer record, and are hoping to negotiate a compromise with the French champions.

L'Equipe has reported that the two clubs are currently in talks over a possible deal for Barcola. Predominantly a left-winger, Barcola is also adept on the right flank, with Liverpool not expected to pursue another wide player should they land the Frenchman.

The forward has featured on the right side 37 times throughout his career, chipping in with seven goals and 15 assists. That leaves the left-wing berth as a three-way contest between Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz.

Gakpo may hold the edge over the two youngsters in terms of experience, but is considered less suited to Iraola's high-pressing system. A starting berth for Liverpool this coming season might arrive too early for the 17-year-old Ngumoha.

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Given his exceptional talent, the Reds will be carefully monitoring his workload to avoid placing excessive physical demands on him. That could pave the way for Munoz - who arrived at the club in a £34m transfer last month - to establish himself as a regular for the Premier League outfit, following his World Cup success with Spain this summer.

Both players will be anticipated to carry some of the goalscoring burden, as befits the modern-day winger's role. Nevertheless, the bulk of that responsibility will rest with Alexander Isak . The Swede endured a disappointing maiden season with merely four goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.

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Fitness concerns and injuries disrupted his campaign, but after featuring - and finding the net - at the World Cup, the 26-year-old will be prepared to demonstrate the form that convinced the Reds to invest £125m in his signature last year.

It's a sharp contrast to the heavily interrupted summer Isak experienced this time last year. And he'll effectively be like a fresh signing for Iraola as a consequence.

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Isak's quality of finishing and capacity to combine with his team-mates, particularly Florian Wirtz, provides the Reds with a distinctive presence up front and one that could establish them as a serious challenger for the biggest honours.

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