Liverpool have bobbed up and down in the Premier League over the past however many years, hitting higher highs but also suffering lower lows than their rivals.
Liverpool's Recent Premier League Finishes
Season
Points
League Position
|
25/26
|
60
|
5th
|
|
24/25
|
84
|
1st
|
|
23/24
|
82
|
3rd
|
|
22/23
|
67
|
5th
|
|
21/22
|
92
|
2nd
|
|
20/21
|
69
|
3rd
|
|
19/20
|
99
|
1st
|
Last season was probably the nadir for many of the Reds persuasion, certainly in modern years, but Arne Slot has been sacked, and Iraola does indeed have the chance to bring the club back up to the ascendancy.
FSG will be fully aware that they need to replace Mohamed Salah for that to happen, though, and have made Bradley Barcola their priority target.
Why Liverpool want to sign Bradley Barcola
Barcola is "one of the best left wingers in the world", according to analyst Ben Mattinson, and Liverpool would benefit immensely from securing the France star's signature this summer.
An important part of Paris Saint-Germain's all-conquering frontline over the past several years, Barcola is now hitting all the right beats with France on the world stage.
All in all, you can see why FSG are determined to sign the 23-year-old this summer. He is fast and flashy and dynamic, capable on the left or as a central attacking force. However, PSG are expected to demand silly money for their emergent star, with their £128m price tag surpassing the British-record fee paid to sign Alexander Isak one year ago floating about.
Barcola is a sensation, and so you can see why Liverpool want to sign him. Having already added Victor Munoz to Iraola's squad, this would be an addition of a different calibre.
FSG are pragmatic, though, and oftentimes, that can be a blessing. Arsenal also have a vested interest in the France forward, who is keeping his options open and may well favour
Quite simply, we don't know, and the last thing that Liverpool will want to do is sell themselves short, having already missed out on Yan Diomande, who has picked the French capital as his dream destination this summer, should he leave RB Leipzig.
How Liverpool could pivot away from Barcola
Liverpool want to sign Barcola this summer, and you can understand why. However, if they have to pivot, FSG must ensure that they sign "one of the best players in the world".
Well, Vinicius Junior has been named exactly that by Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, and it's a view that would be shared by so many football fans across the globe.
As per transfer reporter Graeme Bailey for TEAMtalk, Liverpool are among a number of Premier League heavyweights who have been contacted by representatives looking to drum up interest in Vinicius Junior this summer, with the Real Madrid sensation's future anything but certain.
The 25-year-old is one of the best players in the world, but with his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu set to expire in just one year, his employers would be reluctantly open to cashing in for £77m - though they retain confidence that they can tie him down to a new deal.
You can see why they don't want to lose him, even as he dwells in the shadow of Kylian Mbappe. Vini Jr. has scored over 100 goals over the past five years in Spain, and has scored in multiple Champions League finals.
Brazil suffered throughout the World Cup, before their premature exit against Norway in the round of 16, but Vini was his nation's shining light throughout, scoring four times and playing with a swagger that struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. Just ask Scotland.
Barcola is an exciting and emergent talent. He has the potential to become a world-class player. But the Frenchman is not there yet. As interesting as he is, he sits on the edge of France and PSG's frontlines, and it feels like Vini would be a nailed-down starter for Les Bleus.
Liverpool need an attacker of the Selecao man's quality. After all, it could prove the difference in carrying Liverpool up to title-challenging heights once again, landing someone who has been there and done that at the highest level, but who also has so much hunger to conquer many more heights over the next stage of his career.
Vini Jr vs Barcola at the World Cup
Stats (* per 90)
Vini Jr.
Barcola
|
Matches (starts)
|
5 (5)
|
6 (3)
|
|
Goals + Assists
|
4 + 1
|
2 + 1
|
|
Touches*
|
50.2
|
26.2
|
|
Accurate passes*
|
24.2 (84%)
|
14.0 (85%)
|
|
Big chances created
|
2
|
1
|
|
Key passes*
|
1.8
|
1.2
|
|
Possession lost*
|
14.8
|
6.0
|
|
Succ. dribbles*
|
3.2
|
1.8
|
|
Ball recoveries*
|
1.6
|
1.8
|
|
Def. contributions*
|
0.8
|
1.4
|
|
Duels won*
|
5.8
|
3.7
|
Vini Jr. also wears that rarified cloud of superstardom. He darts about with the sincere conviction that he is the difference-maker, that he is the man for the moment. Now that Salah has departed, that's exactly what Liverpool need, someone to take the reins and guide this new project forward.
Whether Liverpool pull off this ambitious signing is open to debate. Perhaps refrain from putting money on it. However, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility, and there's no question that Vini would be a marquee addition for Iraola's Reds, maybe even eclipsing the impact of someone like Barcola.
3 weeks ago
20
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French (CA) ·