Liverpool need to find the right way to use Bradley Barcola if the France forward is to fulfil his potential at Anfield, according to pundit Rio Ferdinand.
The 24-year-old is expected to make his Liverpool debut against Ipswich on Friday night, having joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain this summer in a deal worth up to £123 million. The transfer makes Barcola Liverpool’s second most expensive signing, behind Alexander Isak.
Barcola has signed a five-year contract at Anfield and arrives with an impressive list of honours. He is a three-time Ligue 1 champion and a two-time Champions League winner. During his final season with Paris Saint-Germain, he made 29 appearances and scored 11 goals.
He has also contributed 14 goals and 10 assists in the 2024-25 season.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is hoping Barcola can become an important part of his efforts to restore the club’s attacking football. The winger’s pace and ability to threaten defenders are expected to provide a new dimension to Liverpool’s forward line.
However, Ferdinand believes Liverpool must tailor their approach to Barcola’s strengths rather than place too much emphasis on defensive responsibilities.
“One important thing with Barcola is how you use him. Can you get him into one-on-one situations?” Ferdinand said.
“Also, if you want to play on the counter-attack, he’s incredibly quick. But would you ask him to take on more defensive duties than attacking? That might not suit him well.
“My final point is that he also needs to improve his finishing,” Ferdinand added. “If he can do that, he will cause a lot of teams problems.”
The comments underline the importance of how Slot deploys Barcola, particularly if Liverpool want to make full use of his speed in transition and his ability to take on opponents individually.
Barcola’s finishing has been identified as an area for improvement, but Ferdinand believes greater efficiency in front of goal could make the forward a major problem for opposition teams.
His arrival is part of a busy period of recruitment for Liverpool. Barcola joins Victor Munoz and Araujo as the club’s new signings this summer, while Loureiro also joined in January.
The immediate focus will now be on whether Slot selects Barcola for the visit to Ipswich and how much involvement the new signing is given just days after completing his move.
Liverpool will also be expecting the size of their investment to bring an immediate impact, with Barcola’s pace, attacking instincts and experience of domestic and European success making him one of the most significant additions to the squad.
AF’s PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit:www.allfootballapp.com
