Liverpool finally seemed to move forward in the transfer market on Sunday after news arrived that Bradley Barcola will not sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain and is keen to join the Reds instead.
Though it has been stressed that a move to Anfield is not imminent for Barcola, this one looks to be moving in the right direction, and will mean that Liverpool have brought in two fast, direct wide players this summer.
But while fans should be excited to see Barcola and Victor Munoz in action, the Reds are also reportedly still pushing to sign Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche. And while PSG are said to be heavy favourites to win the race, Liverpool have signalled that they still want one more addition alongside Barcola and Munoz.
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Liverpool’s interest in Akliouche is not new. The Reds’ efforts to sign him were widely reported on last week. But according to French journalist Santi Aouna on Sunday, Liverpool are willing to offer even more to Monaco than PSG currently are in order to beat them to the 24-year-old.
Sadly for the Reds, this is reportedly unlikely to make a difference, with Akliouche deciding he wants to join PSG.
“Despite Liverpool’s interest, Maghnes Akliouche wants to join PSG,” Aouna posted to X. “The Reds are ready to offer AS Monaco more than PSG, but the player’s desire is clear: he only wants Paris. Discussions continue between the two clubs.”
Although they look likely to miss out on this one, Liverpool’s push for Akliouche – while simultaneously trying to sign Barcola – is a clear hint that the Reds think they still need more in their front line.
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The interesting thing about Liverpool’s interest in both Barcola and Akliouche is that they are completely different players.
Barcola is mainly a left-sided winger, and with the Reds most needing a right-sided player to replace Mohamed Salah, it will be fascinating to see how they plan to use him.
Akliouche, meanwhile, is very much a right-sider. Like Salah, he enjoys cutting in onto his left foot and hitting crosses or bending in shots.
What this would suggest is that Liverpool feel they still could add something extra alongside Barcola, and when looking across the forward line, it is obvious that a left-footer is missing.
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Liverpool do not necessarily need this, but it is nice to have the mixture, with a left-footer obviously offering something a little bit different.
Sadly for the Reds, there is a bit of a dearth in realistic options for them to go for right now.
Yankuba Minteh could be one, but there are worries over the Brighton man’s output. Porto’s William Gomes looks like a talent, meanwhile, and he could be one to watch, but it remains to be seen whether Liverpool feel they need someone a little more experienced.
There are top left-footed wingers around, but the likes of Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele are clearly out of reach for now.
As a result, it may be that Liverpool pile up the right-footers and wait for the right player to become available in the next year or two. But it is clear that regardless of what does eventually end up happening, the Reds are at the very least on the lookout for someone else to join Barcola and Munoz in Andoni Iraola’s squad next season.
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