Liverpool edge closer to £72m deal — and Gakpo's role would change

Before this window even opened, Liverpool were expected to be one of its busiest participants. Several first-team positions needed upgrading and the mood around Anfield was that another rebuild was coming.

Instead the Reds find themselves in limbo. Plenty of squad members are linked with exits, roughly a month of the window remains, and decisions that should have been made in June are still outstanding.

Barcola would push Gakpo down the order

The attack is the hardest area to fix. Hugo Ekitike is sidelined until at least January and Mohamed Salah is now a Trabzonspor player, leaving an Egyptian-sized hole on the right that nobody in the building has yet filled.

Curiously, most of the attackers linked are left-sided. Versatility softens that, but a side that wants someone to hit the ground running in Salah's role really needs a natural right winger among the group.

“Bradley Barcola would be signed to play left wing for Liverpool, not as the Salah replacement. He would come in ahead of Cody Gakpo in the pecking order should a deal be agreed with PSG, with negotiations progressing slowly and the PSG hierarchy currently unwilling to compromise on a €150m-plus valuation.”

Would that be an upgrade? Probably yes

In 2024-25 Gakpo was among Liverpool's best forwards, battling Luis Diaz for the left-wing role and posting arguably his strongest numbers in a red shirt. The following season went the other way: handed the position outright, he regressed badly, and supporters pushed for Rio Ngumoha until the teenager got his run of starts.

Barcola contributed to 20 goals across all competitions last term and covered every position across the front three. That combination — output plus flexibility — is why he sits at the top of the list, and why Liverpool are willing to talk about a fee in this range at all.