Liverpool’s €250m problem has a solution – and Barcola can unlock it

Barcola can unlock Liverpool’s €270m problem as Iraola finds right-wing solution Make us your Google favourite Liverpool secured their second 2-2 draw of the Premier League season in as many match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but while the outcome of the match was deflating for the Reds, better times are ahead. Although Andoni Iraola’s side have scored four goals across their two matches this season, there has been a predictability to much of their attacking play, which has seen them dominate the ball but offer precious little dynamism. This, though, is still a squad in transition and should look very different when the final piece falls into place in the hours ahead. Why Bradley Barcola will transform Liverpool’s attack Bradley Barcola’s move to Liverpool is a matter of time. It is the type of transfer that can unlock the whole team, including the attacking duo of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz . The Frenchman would have been a mouth-watering prospect for Liverpool fans in the Forest clash. When the match was like a basketball game early, his pace would have been a precious asset on the counterattack, while his fearsome acceleration is ideal for breaking down the type of deep bloc that the visitors to Anfield employed in the second half. Explosiveness and dynamism was something that Iraola’s side were lacking at times, yet are among Barcola’s most potent weapons. The only Liverpool player to complete more than a single dribble over the course of the match was substitute Rio Ngumoha, yet his cameo in place of Cody Gakpo was one of the brightest aspects of the Anfield side’s attacking play. Expect more of that to come from Barcola, whose potent individual threat acts as a magnet for defenders. His role will not be to score 30 goals a season. Instead, it will be to create space for Wirtz and Isak with his ball carrying and directness. His €140m fee is not just for another player, it’s a deal that promises to boost the impact of those stars around him. Liverpool twice broke their transfer record last summer by splashing out €270m Isak and Wirtz, who have yet to justify that fee. Barcola is the missing piece that can allow both to flourish. “We started the game pretty bad today.” 😬 Alexander Isak gives his assessment of Liverpool’s performance at Anfield. 🎙️ @jules_breach | 📺 TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/3wD0hplmQ6 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 29, 2026 Liverpool may already have their right-wing solution Barcola’s arrival will leave the right wing as Iraola’s outstanding transfer problem in the final days of the market, yet at Anfield, there was evidence enough to suggest that he has a potential solution to the problem. Victor Munoz gave another bright display, which was capped by a brilliant goal to secure a share of the points. It was just reward for the Spaniard, who had been Liverpool’s most proactive attacker. He was by no means polished – he completed only one of six dribbles and 75% of his passes – but he was persistent. Barcola’s arrival will help him, too. Another proactive wide threat can only benefit the Reds, meaning that their biggest transfer of the summer is one worth waiting for.