Liverpool will sign a new wide forward this summer, with Bradley Barcola and Yan Diomande emerging as two exciting front-runners heading into the window.
Both players would add the pace, power and goal-scoring threat which the Reds have badly been missing from the wing this season, and though fans would like to see both arrive, it is going to be one or the other.
Which one ultimately joins is something which Richard Hughes and the Liverpool recruitment team will have to settle between themselves, but after rumours ramped up on Sunday that Barcola is keen to join the Reds, Rousing The Kop thought we’d have a go at deciding for ourselves.
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Making the case for Barcola
As long as Liverpool qualify for next season’s Champions League, they should still have it within their capabilities to go big on a forward signing this summer.
Just how big may depend on what needs doing in other areas, though, and given that RB Leipzig will look for around £85m to sell Diomande, the Ivorian might just be too rich for Liverpool’s blood.
Barcola would not come cheap either, mind you, but as he enters the final two years of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, he will likely be attainable for a fair bit cheaper than Diomande.
Money should not be the deciding factor here, however, and Barcola’s abilities speak for themselves.
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Still only 23, the Frenchman has his best years ahead of him, but is still much more of a proven entity than Diomande, who is four years his junior.
The former Lyon man has shown that he can make the step up from a lesser team to a European champion, something Diomande has yet to be given the chance to do.
In terms of pure footballing ability, there are also arguments that Barcola would fit Liverpool better.
What they need is an electrically quick forward who is versatile, light on his feet and proven in front of goal. Barcola is all three, and while he is predominantly a left-sided attacker, he has also operated plenty from the right while at Lyon and his early days with PSG, which could give Liverpool their much-needed Mohamed Salah replacement.
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Diomande could have a higher ceiling
Although Barcola would possibly make more sense for Liverpool in the here and now, there is a case to be made that Diomande could end up being one of the best wingers in world football very soon.
The 19-year-old quickly forced his way into the Leipzig starting XI this season and having hit 13 goals and registered eight assists, has become their key player.
A brilliant dribbler who carries the ball in a style reminiscent of Man City’s Antoine Semenyo, Diomande is a more powerful player than Barcola, and though he is perhaps not as lightning quick, he still has pace to burn.
At only 19, there is a real possibility that Diomande is just at the very tip of his potential, and though the price is very high, it could still look like a snip in a year or two.
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PSG are reportedly one of the teams ready to rival Liverpool for the Ivorian, and after losing out to the Parisians for Khvicha Kvarastkehlia – and watched as they put together a brilliant forward line – that could inform the Reds’ decision.
Diomande could be the next superstar winger in European football, and while there is no guarantee of that, it is a gamble Liverpool are going to have to weigh up in the coming weeks.
The verdict: Liverpool should sign Barcola
If Liverpool do ignore Diomande and go for Barcola this summer, it may well look like a mistake down the line.
Nevertheless, Liverpool cannot take any more gambles this summer. They need to go out and get players who have the best chance of hitting the ground running at Anfield.
His experience at an elite club, as a trophy winner and a more decorated international gives Barcola the edge here.
If there is not much difference between the price, then Liverpool might as well take a punt on Diomande and his potential, but as they aim to get back on their perch next season, Barcola looks like the more sure-fire bet at this moment. Put us in Hughes’ shoes, and we’re opting for the Frenchman.
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