Bradley Barcola: Liverpool are risking £100m for a new Mo Salah Liverpool are ready to spend a fortune on Bradley Barcola. Here's why they're risking £100m for a new Mohamed Salah . Mohamed Salah left Liverpool this summer and it has been a slog to replace him. There are just days remaining but finally, the Reds have got their man: Bradley Barcola. Now, you'll correctly point out that Barcola doesn't even play in the same position. He's a left-sided player, Salah's a right-sided player. But Liverpool have had to pivot here. There are no good options on the right who can come close to recreating Salah's overall impact. Genuinely, there are none . All of the ones who might are tied down to elite clubs, with Yan Diomande having been the only high-potential option that Liverpool had a shot at. So the club had to go for the other side, despite the fact they're packed with options there. We imagine a right-winger will follow, just one who's more of a squad option than a superstar. Barcola, though, is that superstar . Our Value Adder model has him down as one of the absolute best in the world and his 2024/25 campaign, in particular, was an incredible standout. In fact, we rank him as the fourth-best winger in the world that season, behind Salah, Raphinha and Michael Olise. But the real win here is how Barcola trends alongside Salah as an option. As in, a winger who wants to produce goals and assists as a final option, rather than necessarily get involved in buildup. Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets Open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater. 18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org £30 FREE CLAIM NOW 18+Gambling can be addictive — please only bet what you can afford to lose. For free support visit BeGambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). Self-exclude at GAMSTOP.co.uk . AnfieldWatch is not a licensed betting operator. Offers subject to change.
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© Anfield Watch
The above highlights that lack of being a go-to creative option. The pair of them contribute far, far fewer final actions that someone like Michael Olise - teams turn to them to finish moves, rather than get involved en masse. That then turns into the first chart: two players with high goals and assists. And as a goalscorer, Barcola is up there with the best in terms of consistency. He's a high-shot player with a high conversion rate, nearly making the top-10-per-cent mark in both metrics for wingers across Europe's top five leagues (again, 24/25).
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And that, ultimately, is what Liverpool want. They're after a new Salah - a goalscoring winger who can get in position for lots of chances and then take them. But there's another factor: doing it in a high-possession team. That was a massive fault last season and Liverpool struggled to break down deep teams when the Reds dominated the ball. Barcola, though, is highly experienced and skilled at this.
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© Anfield Watch
As shown above, Barcola isn't just a goalscorer in a high-possession team but also a chance creator. That's the job in replacing Salah: doing both. Liverpool have paid massively for Barcola but they're ultimately doing it because he's one of the remarkably few players in world football who can do what Salah did.
