Liverpool finished the summer transfer window as the Premier League's biggest net spenders, despite making just three permanent signings. The largest outlay was the £123m paid to Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, a deal concluded in late August after a summer-long pursuit of the France international.
Victor Munoz arrived after his £34.5m release clause at Osasuna was triggered, and Jeremy Jacquet completed a move agreed with Rennes in January for £60m. Ronald Araujo, 27, joined on loan from Barcelona in August, making him the eldest of the four additions.
Jacquet impresses early at Anfield
Jacquet has emerged as the standout signing so far. The 21-year-old centre-back has earned a senior France call-up on the back of his Liverpool form, drawing praise from new boss Zinedine Zidane after Friday's 1-1 draw with Italy. "Very good. Very, very good. Brave. He wasn't afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels. He was, once again, very good. I said it four times," Zidane said.
His partnership with Virgil van Dijk has underpinned three straight Premier League clean sheets before the international break. After a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, Van Dijk said: "He has had an excellent start, but we are only in September. I want him to keep working and keep learning. I am sure he will. There is obviously a lot of praise and rightly so, but I know how it works when you play a game not at the standards you have set. So let's just stay calm, keep working, and try and stay important for us like he was today again."
Having started as a midfielder who idolised Paul Pogba, Jacquet is comfortable in possession and has been notable for his assured passing into midfield and forward forays. Araujo has also contributed, playing right-back despite being a centre-half by trade, helping the team keep clean sheets against Ipswich Town, Fulham, and Bournemouth.
Barcola needs time to settle
Barcola's arrival at £123m brought significant fanfare, but his first weeks have been relatively quiet. He has featured for just 248 minutes, with glimpses of his pace and touch but no standout impact. Having barely played for PSG during pre-season while the transfer was negotiated, he may need more time to adapt.
Thierry Henry, Barcola's former France Under-21s boss, said: "It's not an easy place to start, and he didn't ask for his price tag, but it's on his back. We all know that one-v-one, he is deadly, and he has pace. The only thing he needs to work on is his finishing, but that's normal. If you see my finishing when I was 19 or 20 compared to the end of my career, it was so different. I became so much more sure about my game."
Midfield gap and January options
Liverpool opted not to sign a replacement for Curtis Jones, who left for Inter in a £30m deal, instead backing Trey Nyoni to step up. The youngster has played just 38 Premier League minutes so far. The impact of the 38% sale of the club by Fenway Sports Group to Amit Bhatia's 1892 Holdings consortium on recruitment remains unclear.
Monaco's Lamine Camara has admirers at Anfield. A £47m deal between Monaco and Chelsea on September 1 collapsed at the 11th hour, leaving Chelsea furious. Monaco were accused of being "deeply unprofessional" by Stamford Bridge officials, a development that may leave the door open for Liverpool to pursue a move in the January window.
