Liverpool's Pursuit of Barcola and Iraola's Power Football
Liverpool step back into the Premier League spotlight this weekend with the sense that something is building – both on and off the pitch.
Nottingham Forest visit Anfield for the Reds’ first home game of the season, with Andoni Iraola still hunting his first league win as Liverpool manager after a stuttering 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. The performance left questions. The transfer market might soon provide one answer.
Barcola deal edges towards Anfield
Liverpool have struck an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola worth around £120 million, a fee that would make the French winger the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history, behind only Alexander Isak’s £125m move.
The deal is not yet over the line, with final details still being ironed out, but the direction of travel is clear. Barcola remains a PSG player for now, yet the Champions League winner has already made his decision on his future, and both clubs are moving towards completion.
PSG’s recent team sheets tell their own story. Barcola has not played a single minute this season. He was only a substitute for the UEFA Super Cup win over Aston Villa, then left out entirely for league fixtures against Lens and Rennes. On Friday night, as PSG faced Lille in Ligue 1, he was again missing from the matchday squad, a conspicuous absentee as his move to Merseyside inches closer.
The 21-year-old’s numbers from last season underline why Liverpool are willing to go so big. Across all competitions, Barcola scored 13 goals and supplied seven assists in 49 appearances, a consistent threat in a side stacked with attacking talent. He helped drive PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles, yet still had to fight for minutes against Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.
If Liverpool get this over the line, Iraola will inherit a high-end wide forward entering his prime, capable of stretching defences and adding end product to a frontline already loaded with pace.
Wirtz finds clarity under Iraola
While the recruitment team works on Barcola, one current Liverpool star is quietly becoming central to Iraola’s on-field plans.
Florian Wirtz endured a slightly fragmented debut campaign in England under Arne Slot, shuttling between roles as an attacking midfielder and an option off the left. He showed flashes, but never truly felt nailed down in one position.
Iraola has wasted no time changing that.
During pre-season, the Spanish coach made it clear he sees Wirtz as his No. 10 – the creative hub, stationed between the lines, charged with knitting together Liverpool’s high-energy approach.
Speaking to Sky Germany, the 23-year-old laid out exactly what that means. Iraola, he explained, wants “power football going forward. Lots of pressing.” The instructions are direct. The responsibilities, as Wirtz put it, are “relatively clear”.
The challenge now lies in turning clarity into cohesion.
“We now have to work on making it work as a team,” Wirtz said, stressing that it is not enough for individuals to execute their roles; the entire structure has to “harmonize together”. Early impressions of Iraola have been positive. Wirtz spoke of a coach who “reaches a lot of players” and of a squad that understands what is being asked of them and believes in the idea.
Belief is one thing. Results at Anfield, starting against Forest and potentially with Barcola soon in the building, will show whether Iraola’s power football can ignite Liverpool’s season.
