Jamie Carragher's Transfer Priorities for Liverpool: Replace Salah First

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to get their priorities straight in the transfer market: replace Mohamed Salah first, then think about Bradley Barcola.

The former Liverpool defender, speaking to Sky Sports, made it clear he admires the Paris Saint-Germain winger, but sees a mismatch between what the squad needs and where Barcola operates.

“He is a wonderful player, there is no doubt about that, and I would love to see Barcola at Liverpool,” Carragher said. “But for me he is a left winger.”

That, for Carragher, is the crux of the issue. Salah owned the right flank for nine years at Anfield, redefining the role and delivering a stream of goals and assists from that side. His departure has left a gaping hole that Carragher believes remains unfilled.

“The main thing that stands out as an urgent need for Liverpool right now is replacing Salah, who was playing as a right winger,” he said. “And I do not think Liverpool have any player in the squad who feels completely comfortable playing in the right wing position.”

Barcola, a France international who prefers the left, is high on Liverpool’s radar. Sources have told ESPN the club are preparing their first offer, with PSG valuing the 21-year-old at around €150 million. It is a huge fee for a player who would walk straight into a part of the pitch where Liverpool already have bodies.

On that side, Arne Slot can already call on Cody Gakpo, highly rated youngster Rio Ngumoha and new signing Victor Muñoz. That depth only sharpens Carragher’s argument.

“The team probably have at least four numbers in the squad before Barcola joins, if he joins, who can play on the left side quite comfortably,” he explained.

Carragher is not against Barcola arriving. Far from it. His concern lies in sequence and balance.

“If you asked me, do I want Barcola to arrive along with Liverpool signing a right winger too? I would be very happy because players would have to leave, and that is of course a natural thing,” he said.

“But at the moment, I felt that this summer should be dedicated to replacing Salah, and Barcola does not make up for Mo’s departure.”

The conversation naturally drifts towards Ngumoha, the 17‑year‑old who has excited supporters with his direct running and recently scored in a friendly win over Wrexham. Would a blockbuster move for Barcola choke off his pathway?

Carragher sees the tension clearly.

“Rio is a young lad, and he is really excellent, and I think he will keep developing from what he showed last season,” he said. “But this is an important point: you are buying a very young player for a large sum of money in Barcola, and he is currently better than Rio Ngumoha.”

That reality shapes the next step in Ngumoha’s career.

“You expect in the end, over the next year or two, that Rio will want to play week in, week out with Liverpool, and it is up to him to prove that,” Carragher added.

There has been talk of Ngumoha switching sides to pick up minutes on the right, learning to operate on both flanks as he grows. Carragher understands the value of that versatility, but he still sees the teenager’s natural home.

“So when you pay that kind of money for a young player in his position, it makes you a little uncertain,” he admitted. “There is talk of Rio Ngumoha potentially playing on the right side and getting some minutes there, and as a young player it is a good thing to play on both sides, but I think his current position is the left wing.”

For Carragher, the ideal scenario is bold and ruthless: reshape the forward line decisively, not piecemeal.

“If they go out and bring in a player for the right wing position, and sign Barcola, then sell two of the wide players currently in the team,” he concluded, “then I think that would be a wonderful thing.”