Liverpool weigh Barcola option as long-term Salah planning begins

Liverpool have reached the point no supporter ever wanted to confront, the moment when background work begins on identifying life after Mohamed Salah. According to Caught Offside, the club are examining options and the name that continues to surface is Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint Germain. It speaks to both the scale of the task and the breadth of the search that the recruitment team are already deep in analysis.

Barcola’s appeal and Liverpool’s early groundwork

Caught Offside report that “Liverpool have already begun background work on replacing Salah” and that “a player they really like, and have been following closely for some time, is Bradley Barcola”. At 23, with the pace and creativity expected of a modern wide forward, Barcola fits the profile Liverpool have historically grown rather than bought fully formed. His six goals and five assists this season indicate a player beginning to find rhythm, and there is a sense that his ceiling remains high.

Sources referenced in the article suggest that Barcola would be “open” to assessing his future, even if PSG prefer to keep him and may offer a new contract beyond 2028. That tension is familiar. Clubs with elite depth often struggle to offer emerging attackers the prominence they crave. Liverpool, by contrast, can promise a role shaped by responsibility and defined by structure.

Assessing whether Barcola is realistic

Barcola has struggled to cement himself as an automatic starter in Luis Enrique’s system, a detail that could shift the balance. The report states that he “might well be tempted to seek a move elsewhere” given the volume of competition. Interest from Manchester United and other major European clubs indicates the level at which this discussion is unfolding. Liverpool, however, represent a stylistic fit as much as a sporting one. The wide duties, the degree of freedom, the emphasis on transition and precision, all align with the strengths the Frenchman has shown.

The context, though, is unavoidable. Salah has scored 250 goals in 420 appearances, routinely surpassing 30 in a season. No single player can replicate that. The idea is not to replace Salah like for like, but to rebuild around a collective plan that draws more from Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and the evolving frontline.

Long-term implications of the search

Liverpool have always planned cycles ahead. Even if Salah remains beyond this season, identifying options is essential. Barcola offers pace, directness and maturity in possession. His ability to glide past players and contribute consistently makes him more than a speculative name. Yet the conversation is only beginning. PSG’s stance, the financial landscape and the player’s ambition will shape what happens next.

For now, Liverpool are not replacing Salah. They are preparing for the possibility. In the modern game, preparation is the only real protection against upheaval.

Our View, Anfield Index Analysis

The mention of Barcola immediately raises both eyebrows and questions. There is an understandable reluctance to accept any narrative about replacing Salah. Fans have lived through the fear of losing key figures before, but Salah is different. He is the pillar around which an era has been built, a goalscorer whose instincts and influence feel impossible to mimic. Hearing that the club are doing “background work” inevitably triggers worry that something is moving behind the scenes.

Barcola, while talented, does not arrive with the aura supporters expect from a Salah successor. Six goals and five assists is respectable, but it is not the sort of output that eases concerns. The scepticism comes from experience. Fans have seen replacements by committee, transitions that take time, and the way even elite prospects can struggle under the weight of expectation at Anfield.

There is also a lingering distrust about PSG players who have not held down starting roles. Supporters recall how others have arrived from similar situations needing adaptation, confidence and clarity. Would Barcola offer that instant hit of quality Liverpool will need if Salah departs? Or would he represent another long term project during a period when the club must remain competitive?

The mention of other options, including players in the Premier League like Semenyo, will spark debate. Many fans would prefer someone already proven in England rather than rolling the dice abroad.

In the end, the sceptical view is simple. Until there is confirmation about Salah’s future, discussions about replacements feel premature, unsettling and potentially distracting. Barcola might become a brilliant acquisition, but convincing Liverpool supporters of his suitability is another matter entirely.