Liverpool's Forward Line: Salah's Exit and Barcola's Potential Impact

Liverpool’s attack has lived under a spotlight all summer. The expectation, long before the 2026-27 window creaked open, was that Anfield would be braced for another sweeping rebuild. Instead, with a month left to trade, the club finds itself stuck between eras, heavy on questions and light on answers.

Key players are being linked with exits, the squad still feels unfinished, and the one area that demands clarity more than any other is the forward line.

Salah gone, solutions unclear

Mohamed Salah is no longer the man on the right. The “Egyptian King” has gone to Trabzonspor, Hugo Ekitike is sidelined until at least January, and Liverpool’s attack has lost its reference point.

Names have flooded the rumour mill, but there’s a pattern: most of the forwards linked are left-wingers, not natural right-sided replacements. In modern football that isn’t a fatal flaw – coaches crave versatility, fluid front threes, interchanging roles. Yet if Liverpool want someone to step straight into Salah’s shadow and carry that goalscoring burden, a true right-winger would make life far easier.

Against that backdrop, the idea that Cody Gakpo would be pushed down the pecking order by Bradley Barcola feels less like a shock and more like an inevitable consequence of where this squad is heading.

“Bradley Barcola would be signed to play left wing for Liverpool, not the Salah replacement,” Anfield Sector reported via X. “He would come in ahead of Cody Gakpo in the pecking order should a deal be agreed with PSG, with negotiations progressing slowly but the PSG hierarchy currently unwilling to compromise on a €150m+ valuation.”

That price tag is eye-watering. The stance from Paris is firm. But Liverpool’s interest underlines something simple: they no longer see Gakpo as untouchable.

Gakpo’s slide opens the door

It wasn’t always this way. Across the 2024-25 season, Gakpo looked like one of Liverpool’s most effective attackers. Operating from the left, he traded starts with Luis Díaz and delivered one of his strongest campaigns since arriving at Anfield. He carried threat, linked play, and justified his place in the rotation.

Then came 2025-26.

With Díaz out of the picture early, Gakpo began the season as Liverpool’s only established left-wing option. It should have been his moment to own the role. Instead, his form dipped sharply. The sharpness that once defined his game dulled. His influence faded. Performances turned from inconsistent to outright poor across long stretches of the campaign.

The crowd saw it. The calls grew louder for Rio Ngumoha to be given his chance, and eventually Arne Slot relented. The youngster started to see more minutes, and with that, Gakpo’s status shifted from starter to question mark.

From there, the links to left-wingers started to snowball. Each rumour told the same story: Liverpool were no longer convinced that Gakpo was the long-term answer on that flank.

Why Barcola changes the picture

Among the many names floated, Bradley Barcola stands out as the most compelling fit. The numbers back it up. Last season, he contributed to 20 goals across all competitions, a return that speaks to both end product and consistency.

Just as important is how he did it. Barcola didn’t just hug the touchline on the left; he moved across the front three, offering his coaches options and opponents headaches. That ability to operate in multiple attacking roles makes him a more flexible weapon than Gakpo in the current Liverpool setup.

This is where the potential deal becomes ruthless but logical. If Liverpool can effectively move Gakpo out to bring Barcola in, the upgrade is clear. You gain a younger, more versatile forward with a higher recent output and a profile that fits a fluid, modern front line.

There are still significant obstacles. PSG are in no mood to soften their €150m+ valuation, negotiations are dragging, and Liverpool have other fires to put out across the squad. But the logic of the move is hard to argue with.

For a club caught between what it was with Salah and what it wants to become without him, choosing Barcola over Gakpo would be a decisive step. The question now is whether Liverpool are willing to pay the price – and whether they can afford not to.