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He's outshining Barcola: The £60m winger Liverpool should sign

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Published Aug 26, 2026, 7:10 AM GMT+1

Robbie is the Assistant Editor at Football FanCast, specialising in football analysis, transfer coverage and feature writing, with particular expertise in Manchester United, Celtic, Rangers and the wider Premier League and Scottish football.

A sports journalist since graduating from the University of Exeter in 2020, Robbie has spent more than six years covering professional football across the Premier League, EFL, SPFL and European competitions. His career has included news and feature work for 90min and more than a year covering the Premier League and Manchester United in particular at Football Faithful.

Robbie joined Football FanCast through the site's academy programme in 2022, progressing to the Exclusives team before becoming Assistant Editor in October 2023. His work combines original reporting, transfer insight, football analysis and informed feature writing, with a particular focus on understanding the context behind the latest news and what developments mean for clubs, managers and players.

He has developed extensive knowledge of Manchester United, Celtic and Rangers through regular coverage, while also bringing a broad understanding of the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football. His experience covering the game extends beyond the page, with a long-standing connection to Wycombe Wanderers that has seen him attend home and away matches for more than two decades.

Through his reporting and analysis, Robbie provides readers with credible football insight, informed transfer assessment and detailed coverage that goes beyond the headline, drawing on years of experience following clubs and competitions at close range.

Let's look to the positives, shall we? On a weekend in which many of their Premier League rivals found it tough going, Liverpool did at least salvage a point to kick-start proceedings.

A trip to St James' Park is a daunting one on any occasion, with Andoni Iraola's men deserving credit for weathering the storm and fighting to the last to secure a point.

The introduction of Victor Munoz off the bench also proved decisive in that frantic finale, the Spaniard making a bright first impression to earn that vital spot-kick at the death.

By all accounts, the ex-Osasuna man might well prove one of three new wingers to arrive before the deadline, with both Yankuba Minteh and Bradley Barcola heavily linked with a move.

Why Liverpool could be repeating 2025 with Barcola signing

In the case of Minteh, the potential capture of the Gambian feels very much like the type of signing made a decade ago, not just due to the comparisons to his idol, Sadio Mane.

The 22-year-old appears a player who could be moulded into a superstar at Anfield, rather than arriving as one, following in the footsteps of Mane, Mohamed Salah and Co.

Rightfully, however, the Reds are looking to step away from this one with reports emerging on Tuesday night that the Seagulls have placed a jaw-dropping £80m price tag on their star winger's head.

As a result, Barcola remains he leading target. Compared to Minteh, this is an altogether different prospect, even with the Frenchman still just 23 himself, with the reported £120m+ price tag likely to place hefty expectations on his shoulders.

France's Bradley Barcola during training

The Merseysiders, at their best, have been efficient and savvy in the transfer market, with Jamie Carragher noting on the Football Ramble that last summer's investment in Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz felt too far removed, almost "Real Madrid-like" in the level of spending.

To say those two deals have backfired, on current evidence, would be an understatement, with Carragher suggesting on Monday Night Football that Liverpool's 2025 spree could go down as arguably the "worst window in Premier League history".

It does feel a tad risky to throw yet another marquee name into the mix in the form of Barcola, the ex-Lyon man likely to command a bumper price despite not actually having been a regular starter at the Parc des Princes.

Perhaps Liverpool need to do what they do best and find greater value in the market instead, with Barcola not the only option from Ligue 1 to consider.

Liverpool could sign Barcola alternative for just £60m

The whole dynamic regarding Iraola's attacking options is an intriguing one, with Cody Gakpo having been the club's biggest threat on Tyneside, amid the backdrop of ongoing links to both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Barcola vs Gakpo - 25/26 League Stats

Barcola

Stat (*per game)

Gakpo

29	Games	36
11	Goals	7
159	Mins per goal	393
15	Big chances missed	8
1	Assists	5
11	Big chances created	10
83%	Key passes*	1.5
1.3	Pass accuracy*	79%
1.2	Succ. dribbles*	0.9
9.2	Ball lost*	10.8

Those at Anfield are believed to want two new signings in the building before an exit for Gakpo can be signed off on. Barcola could be on the way but they will now need to find an alternative for the aforementioned Minteh.

TEAMtalk report that Liverpool are also among the clubs interested in signing Lille starlet, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, a player whom Newcastle are also in the mix for.

As per the report, the Magpies have backed away after learning of the 21-year-old's £60m price tag, a valuation that has perhaps also put off the Merseysiders too.

That said, for their part, Iraola's side are believed to have opened talks of their own after lodging an initial enquiry, suggesting that there is certainly interest there.

The player himself is seemingly keen to leave the Ligue 1 outfit, opening up the chance for any suitor to pounce, provided there can be some negotiation on cost.

The young Belgian certainly fits the brief as another more wildcard addition for the Reds this summer, with his recent form in France stacking up well in comparison to Barcola.

Indeed, Fernandez-Pardo actually bettered his PSG counterpart in terms of goals and assists last season, racking up 13 goal involvements for Lille, ahead of Barcola's return of 12.

The pair also finished level in terms of successful dribbles completed per game (1.2), while Barcola only just had the edge in terms of key passes made per game (1.3 vs 1.2).

The younger man also only missed 12 'big chances', fewer than Barcola's tally of 15, while also boasting the benefit of his ability to feature on either flank, as well as in a false nine role.

Fernandez-Pardo is certainly a dynamic, direct winger in his own right, proving such a handful as he earned 1.4 fouls per game last term, again comfortably ahead of Barcola's 0.3 average in that regard.

Considering the Belgian was operating in a far less dominant team than Barcola also gives greater weight to his form, with Liverpool potentially set to strike gold by sealing this £60m-rated winger.

Indeed, if Iraola is seeking a replacement for Gakpo, then Fernandez-Pardo might well be the man, with ScoutLab noting that the second most similar player to him in Europe's big five leagues last term was actually the Dutchman.