Liverpool kick off their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth on Friday evening, providing a fitting curtain-raiser to the English top-flight campaign.
Arne Slot did suggest that fans should expect changes. But who could have foreseen spending on this scale?
When Florian Wirtz arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in June, he arrived as a £100m player. That figure may yet rise to £116m, which would make him the most expensive signing in British history.
But perhaps not for that long. The German might only be 22, but he’s already established himself over a series of years as among the game’s world-class playmakers. It would take a special signing indeed to eclipse him financially.
24/25 – 45 (36)
15
16
23/24 – 49 (39)
18
20
22/23 – 25 (19)
4
8
21/22 – 31 (27)
10
14
20/21 – 38 (31)
8
8
19/20 – 9 (4)
1
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But that might yet happen before the September 1st deadline, for Liverpool remain focused on signing Newcastle United’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak.
The latest on Liverpool's hunt for forwards
Liverpool have already signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer, and the young French forward’s debut goal in the Community Shield illustrated his quality and potential, with further flicks and fluid connections with Wirtz eliciting much excitement within the fanbase.
But Isak would be the cream of the attacking crop.
Having already seen a £110m offer rejected for the Sweden international, Liverpool are now biding their time as they wait for encouragement on the Magpies’ part.
The 25-year-old scored 27 times for Newcastle last season, perhaps the most important of which came at Wembley against Liverpool, contributing toward United lifting the Carabao Cup.
Though signing the number nine is sporting director Richard Hughes’ priority, Slot has suggested that Liverpool could do with multiple attacking signings before the end of the window, saying: “We need to have one more attacker at least.”
With this in mind, it’s safe to say that Liverpool’s long-standing interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola is very much alive, with the French winger reported earlier in August to be on the Reds’ shortlist.
However, the 22-year-old won’t come cheap, should FSG wish to advance their interest. PSG, who hope to secure the winger’s future, have transfer-listed him at €100m (about £86m).
What Bradley Barcola would bring to Liverpool
It’s exciting to think that Barcola has yet to reach his potential, but is already considered to be such a devastating attacking threat. Last season, as PSG won the quadruple, the Les Bleus talent racked up 42 goal involvements.
But his goals and assists don’t define him. The rangy wide forward has emerged in recent years as one of the most talented dribblers in the business, with data-driven site FBref recording him to rank among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries (5.45) per 90.
His pace and creativity would provide a welcome contrast to the goalscoring Cody Gakpo, and it could even work into forming the dream partnership with Isak and Wirtz, the latter of whom would pull strings and orchestrate from number ten to accommodate both forwards in their progress around the final third.
Analyst Ben Mattinson shares the opinion of many in stating that Barcola is “one of the best left wingers in Europe”, and the player’s specific qualities would appear tailor-made for both Isak and Wirtz, playing to their respective strengths in different ways, forming unbreakable connective attacking tissue on Merseyside.
It’s worth mentioning that this is without even mentioning a certain Salah out on the right, who might have turned 33 over the summer but remains one of the greatest forwards of his generation, with an uptick in creative output over the past few years to balance out the attacking output over the next year.
And all this while considering Ekitike already resides within Slot’s ranks. Barcola’s supreme level of balance in his output suggests Liverpool could achieve a state of true balance next season, evening out the frontline after Salah shouldered such a heavy burden across the 2024/25 season, albeit to a trophy-winning effect.
But this level of dynamism will ensure that Liverpool have enough dimensions about them to keep opponents guessing and ensure that not only can their Premier League title be defended this season, but the Reds can advance toward trophies across other fronts, boasting the depth to do so.
Isak, to be sure, would be the elite focal frontman to make it all happen from a goalscoring standpoint, but the Newcastle man is hardly restricted in his style of play, with pundit Ally McCoist actually remarking last season that he’s the “best all-round centre-forward” in the Premier League.
With Wirtz proving himself to be an attacking midfielder of the highest quality over the past few years, one who could indeed rival the likes of Cole Palmer for the throne in English football, now that Kevin De Bruyne has left Manchester City, both Barcola and Isak has the supply line to find space and opportunities with the kind of regularity that will make it an illustrious upcoming chapter on Merseyside.
Whether Liverpool manage to pull off an ambitious move for Barcola this summer remains to be seen, but if Slot’s comments are anything to go by, the interest is certainly genuine.
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