Liverpool’s first transfer window under Andoni Iraola has delivered another summer of heavy investment, but the arrival of Bradley Barcola has not resolved concerns that the squad is unbalanced.
The France forward completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain on 31 August, signing a long-term contract and taking the No 29 shirt. He arrives at Anfield after three seasons in Paris, where he scored 39 goals and provided 35 assists in 152 appearances.
Yet the £123 million deal has also highlighted one of the biggest questions facing Iraola: how Liverpool intend to replace the influence of Mohamed Salah on the right flank.
“It does not look like a balanced squad,” Jamie Carragher said. “Liverpool are short in the full-back areas and probably a midfield player as well.”
Barcola is capable of operating across the front three, but his strongest position is on the left. That is already a crowded area, with Cody Gakpo established there and Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike also having featured in the role.
Rio Ngumoha made his breakthrough on the left last season before being tested on the opposite wing during pre-season, while Victor Munoz has also been asked to adapt after arriving from a campaign spent primarily as a left winger.
“Liverpool have not got a real out-and-out right-sided attacker,” Carragher said. “We have not got anybody with a left foot on that right side, like Mo Salah. I am disappointed. I am not quite sure what we are going to do on that right wing right now.”
Liverpool’s full-back and midfield concerns
The more pressing issue may lie behind the attack. Jeremie Frimpong has been deployed at right-back in Liverpool’s opening matches, despite the club previously insisting he was not recruited as a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
With Conor Bradley injured, Frimpong is the closest option to a specialist in the position. Dominik Szoboszlai could fill in, although that would represent another compromise, while moving a centre-back out wide would undermine a system that places considerable demands on its full-backs.
Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have both featured among the Premier League’s leading sprinters during the opening weeks of the campaign. Only Adrien Truffert, who worked under Iraola at Bournemouth, has recorded more, underlining the intensity expected from the wide defenders in the new manager’s approach.
Liverpool’s full-backs frequently advance at the same time, leaving the midfield responsible for protecting the space behind them. That places particular importance on Ryan Gravenberch, who was central to the side’s title success under Arne Slot, and Alexis Mac Allister, whose physical sharpness has been questioned over the past 18 months.
It remains unclear whether Iraola intends to use a conventional holding midfielder. At Bournemouth, his teams were encouraged to press aggressively and regain possession high up the pitch, rather than simply retreat into a defensive shape.
“The players really believe that we are going to win the ball high up the field,” Tyler Adams said of Iraola’s approach at Bournemouth.
There have already been warning signs. In Liverpool’s first league match, Newcastle exploited the space between the advanced full-backs and the deeper centre-backs within the opening five minutes. With no midfielder positioned to protect the area, the hosts were able to counter and score.
“I do not believe that midfield can function with the personnel in there,” Carragher said. “For me, it does not work. And it is not just about personnel, it is the structure the manager is asking for.”
Iraola must therefore find a way to preserve Liverpool’s attacking fluidity without leaving the defence exposed. Virgil van Dijk’s preference to defend deeper, combined with the attacking instincts of the full-backs, makes the balance particularly delicate.
“You do not want to lose the offensive side, the fluidity, the arrivals with numbers, but obviously we were punished the other day, especially in the first goal,” Carragher said.
That does not make Liverpool’s recruitment a failure. Barcola adds elite pace and proven production to an attack that remains one of the most dangerous in the division. But the squad appears heavily stocked in certain positions while lacking obvious solutions in others.
The challenge now belongs to Iraola. Liverpool’s strengths may enable them to overwhelm opponents, but unless the midfield and full-back structure can be adjusted, the same attacking ambition could leave them vulnerable on the counter.
