Stop Waiting, Liverpool. Bradley Barcola Is Worth It.

A few weeks ago, if you’d asked me whether Liverpool should spend £100 million on Bradley Barcola, I’d probably have laughed.

Today?

Pay it.

Not because I suddenly think Barcola is the perfect footballer.

Not because every concern I had has magically disappeared.

But because football doesn’t stand still.

Liverpool have just watched Yan Diomande head to Real Madrid for more than €100 million, PSG have missed out, the market has shifted once again, and suddenly the question isn’t whether Barcola is expensive.

The question is whether Liverpool can afford not to sign him.

That’s where we are now.

For months I wanted Diomande. I understood exactly why Liverpool identified him as their priority. He was younger, naturally right sided and looked tailor made for what Andoni Iraola wants from his attack. Like a lot of supporters, I thought Liverpool had a genuine chance of getting that deal over the line.

Instead, Real Madrid did what Real Madrid so often do. They waited for the right moment and got their man.

Frustrating? Absolutely.

But dwelling on it doesn’t improve Liverpool.

The club have to move forward, and for me that means going all in for Barcola.

Have I got reservations?

Of course I have.

He’s not naturally a right winger. His finishing still has room for improvement and he’s not the finished article.

But here’s the thing.

Name me somebody better who’s genuinely attainable.

That’s the question Liverpool have to answer, and I don’t think there is a stronger option available.

Barcola is still only 23. He’s already won the Champions League twice with Paris Saint-Germain, he’s a French international and he’s played at the highest level for several seasons. Players with that level of experience at that age don’t become available very often.

Most importantly, he fits where Liverpool are trying to go.

The market has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Prices that looked outrageous five years ago are now simply the going rate. If clubs are paying enormous fees for players with far less experience, then why should Liverpool suddenly become reluctant when it comes to somebody they’ve clearly admired for a long time?

Sometimes you have to accept the market for what it is.

I don’t particularly enjoy saying that £100 million feels reasonable.

But in today’s game, it probably does.

That doesn’t mean Liverpool should blindly hand PSG whatever they ask for. Richard Hughes should negotiate. That’s his job.

But there’s a huge difference between negotiating and hesitating.

If Liverpool believe Barcola is the player to replace Mohamed Salah, then stop waiting for somebody else to dictate the conversation.

Go and make your move.

The encouraging reports over the weekend suggested Barcola isn’t interested in signing a new contract in Paris, and that Liverpool remain his preferred destination if he leaves. If that’s accurate, then this is exactly the type of situation Liverpool should be attacking.

Elite clubs don’t spend all summer hoping circumstances change.

They create opportunities.

At the same time, let’s not allow one transfer to distract from the bigger picture.

Liverpool’s win over Sunderland was enjoyable, but Joe Gomez’s injury after only a few minutes reminded everybody how fragile the defensive situation remains.

The young centre-backs did brilliantly when they came in.

That doesn’t mean Liverpool suddenly don’t need another experienced defender.

Quite the opposite.

One preseason injury immediately exposed how thin the squad is in that area.

Liverpool still need a centre back.

Liverpool still need a right back.

Signing Barcola shouldn’t come at the expense of strengthening elsewhere.

The positive news is that Iraola already looks to have given this squad a fresh identity. The intensity was obvious against Sunderland, the younger players embraced their opportunity and there are genuine reasons to be optimistic about what’s coming next.

Now the recruitment has to match the ambition.

I’ve changed my mind on Barcola because the circumstances have changed.

That’s football.

Sometimes your first choice disappears, and you have to reassess the market.

Having done exactly that, I keep coming back to the same conclusion.

Barcola gives Liverpool the best chance of replacing what they’ve lost.

He isn’t perfect.

No signing ever is.

But if the alternative is another season of waiting, hoping, and wondering what might have been, then I know which option I’d choose.

Liverpool have missed out on Diomande.

They cannot afford to miss out on Barcola as well.

Much love.