On August 27, The Times revealed that Liverpool's interest in Barcola began in 2022 and continued after PSG signed him. Barcola will primarily operate as a left winger, possessing excellent pace, goal threat, and off-the-ball movement, though his finishing ability remains questionable.

Here is The Times' analysis:

Barcola finds space at the far post. He stretches his arms, eagerly signaling his teammate for a pass. After receiving the ball, he strikes it hard with his right foot, sending it straight into the top corner.

Now, Liverpool certainly hopes such moments will continue, as they are bringing Barcola to Anfield and making him the club's third signing worth more than £100 million in the last 15 months. Nearly four years ago, they actually witnessed a similar scene firsthand.

In December 2022, during the World Cup in Qatar, Liverpool played a friendly against Olympique Lyonnais in Dubai.

At that time, Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp ultimately lost 3-1. Barcola, then just 20 years old, received a pass from 19-year-old Cherki after a series of dribbles and eventually scored.

Given their development trajectory, they had already entered the radar of Europe's top clubs: both had showcased talent in various French youth teams, and Olympique Lyonnais has long been regarded as a renowned "talent factory" in European football. Nevertheless, their performance in that match left a lasting impression on Liverpool.

Barcola, now 23 years old, scored 3 goals for France at the World Cup this past summer.

In a sense, Barcola's forthcoming arrival at Anfield can also be seen as a reward for Liverpool's patient wait.

Initially, Liverpool recognized that Barcola was a player deserving continuous attention, and even after PSG signed him for approximately €45 million in August 2023, they did not stop monitoring him.

Then last summer, Barcola began showing signs of dissatisfaction with his position at PSG. Having to play behind Doucé and Kvaratskhelia seemingly gradually tested his patience.

At that time, Liverpool was linked with the French winger, but since the club had already spent £450 million, including potential deals for Wirtz and Isak that could reach £241 million, they could not invest further at that time.

However, it was almost certain that Liverpool maintained contact with Barcola's team. And when the actual transfer battle began, this ongoing relationship gave Liverpool an early advantage.

In this transfer window, Liverpool had to exercise another form of patience.

PSG's initial valuation for Barcola was reported at €170 million, or £145 million. For any manager, of course, they hope new signings can arrive as soon as possible, but such a price was clearly unaffordable.

Barcola refused to extend his contract with PSG, and his current deal has two years remaining. This gave Liverpool greater confidence to remain patient, hoping that over time, the Champions League winners would lower their asking price.

Now, both parties have reached a principle agreement, with the transfer fee slightly above £100 million. Including add-ons, the overall deal is expected to reach around £120 million. This means Liverpool ultimately saved approximately £20 million to £25 million.

This is a substantial saving, and the money could potentially be invested in other players. However, if Liverpool truly wants to extract real value from this deal, Barcola must prove himself on the pitch.

Like Isak and Wirtz, completing the transfer is merely the beginning; the real challenge is for the player to justify his market price on the field.

Within PSG, people have even jokingly and proudly called this summer the "biggest super-sub transfer window in history."

Gonçalo Ramos joined AC Milan for €75 million, or £64 million; Lee Kang-in moved to Atlético Madrid for €40 million; and Barcola is now estimated to join Liverpool for around €140 million.

In other words, PSG will receive a total of €255 million in transfer revenue from players who were not always Enrique's starters.

Nonetheless, Liverpool remains willing to bet again on Barcola's potential to develop into a top star. And following the major transfers that have frequently occurred among Premier League clubs this summer, this 23-year-old French winger will also bring fresh strength to the Premier League.

Based on past performances, Barcola — nicknamed "Grasshopper" in his youth for his exceptional pace — can bring goal threat, explosive speed, and remarkable dynamism and impact to Liverpool, both in possession and without the ball.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has explained that he wants his wingers to be able to play on both flanks. However, Barcola himself prefers to play on the left, so in terms of positioning, he is more of a replacement for Luis Díaz than for Salah.

Therefore, the future of Cody Gakpo will also attract more attention. Currently, Tottenham Hotspur wants to sign the Dutch winger, and Manchester City has also inquired about his situation.

In the 2023-24 season, Barcola contributed 42 goals across 64 appearances, including 21 goals and 21 assists. However, this figure dropped to 20 last season.

Barcola is sometimes criticized for lacking a killer instinct in front of goal. However, Opta Analyst shows that over the past two seasons, Barcola's big-chance conversion rate reached 28.7%, scoring 25 goals from 87 big chances.

For comparison, Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, regarded as one of the world's best wingers, scored 16 goals from 58 big chances, with a conversion rate of 27.6%.

However, given how Slot wants his team to play, Barcola's off-the-ball movement and willingness to actively compete for the ball in the final third will also be highly valued by Liverpool.

Since last summer, Liverpool's total spending will reach around £670 million, and the team still needs to sign a right winger before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Previously, Liverpool has shown varying levels of interest in Minteh, Ismaïla Sarr, and Endrick.

From external reports, the team still needs to strengthen several positions, and supporters and commentators have also emphasized the gaps in the squad.

However, since former sporting director and subsequently CEO of Football Operations at Fenway Sports Group Michael Edwards began overseeing football matters at Anfield around 10 years ago, Liverpool has gradually developed a "quality over quantity" squad-building model.

This does not mean the club's management cannot see problems in the squad, or that they do not understand the benefits of expanding squad size.

Rather, their choice is that with limited resources, once top talent emerges on the market, they prioritize allocating resources to these players.

For Liverpool, their logic is clear: it is increasingly difficult for the Premier League to attract and retain truly top players currently, and in such a situation, if a club adopts a contrary strategy, it could be a mistake.

At the same time, the club is also aware that the squad transformation that has occurred over the past 12 months has not yet fully yielded results.

And for Barcola, now is the time for all that patient waiting to bear fruit.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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