Liverpool’s Summer Transfer Struggles: Gakpo, Barcola, and Mbaye
Liverpool’s summer was supposed to roar. Instead, it has limped.
Back in June, the brief was clear: a bold reset, an aggressive window, and a squad shaped firmly in Andoni Iraola’s image. This was meant to be the summer Liverpool armed their new head coach for a genuine tilt at everything.
It hasn’t played out that way.
A big plan, slowly unravelling
Yan Diomande was earmarked as the marquee arrival, the man to step into the vast space Mohamed Salah has left behind. Another elite winger was expected to follow. The attack would be rebuilt, the front line refreshed.
None of that has materialised.
Liverpool missed out on Diomande. Ronald Araujo and Victor Munoz have arrived to add depth and a touch of quality, but the glaring issues in the squad remain. The holes are obvious. So is the lack of decisive surgery.
And then comes the second problem: the players who are still there.
Non-homegrown spots are clogged. The quota is full. Wataru Endo, Calvin Ramsay and Federico Chiesa are among those whose futures are under scrutiny, with at least one needing to depart before any more signings can be registered. Until then, Liverpool are stuck in a holding pattern, waiting for something to give.
The clock keeps ticking.
Barcola, Mbaye and a brewing forward shake-up
Behind the scenes, Liverpool are locked in talks with PSG over a double move for Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Land both, and the entire complexion of the summer changes. Miss out, and the window threatens to go down as a major missed opportunity.
Right now, the negotiations are live, the outcome uncertain.
The potential impact, though, is clear. Barcola and Mbaye would instantly thicken Liverpool’s attacking options and hand Iraola the depth he has lacked. They would also unlock another, more uncomfortable possibility.
Because the noise around Cody Gakpo is getting louder.
The Dutch forward is a Premier League winner and has played a meaningful role at Anfield, yet the sense inside the club is that a serious offer this summer would at least be listened to. On the surface, it feels counterintuitive: a squad already short on attackers contemplating the sale of another senior forward.
Look a little closer and it explains Liverpool’s intensity in pursuing Barcola and Mbaye.
If both arrive, the landscape shifts. Suddenly, a Gakpo sale becomes a strategic option rather than a self-inflicted wound.
Gakpo interest grows as Spurs circle
There is no shortage of admirers. Tottenham are keen on the Netherlands international and are monitoring the situation as the window moves into its decisive phase. Should the right bid land on Liverpool’s desk, a move to north London before the deadline would not shock many inside the game.
The caveat is obvious and non-negotiable: Liverpool cannot afford to lose Gakpo without bringing sufficient quality through the door. Letting him go with no replacement would run directly against everything this squad currently needs.
But if Barcola and Mbaye walk through the entrance at Anfield, the equation changes. At that point, Liverpool could justify cashing in on Gakpo for a significant fee and using that money to reshape the forward line in Iraola’s image.
One chain of deals. One major reconfiguration of the attack. All before the window slams shut.
Barcola deal gathers pace
The key domino looks increasingly like Barcola. According to Le Parisien, his future is accelerating quickly, with a move expected within days rather than weeks. At this stage, Liverpool are described as virtually his only remaining serious suitor.
That narrows the path. It also raises the stakes.
If Liverpool close that deal, the narrative around their window changes overnight. If they don’t, the frustration that has simmered all summer will only deepen.
For now, all eyes are on Barcola. The feeling is that he could be walking out at Anfield in a matter of days – and if he does, the rest of Liverpool’s transfer puzzle may finally start to fall into place.
