Liverpool entered the international break unbeaten after a summer of significant change. The start to the new season has been solid rather than spectacular, giving the Reds plenty to reflect on as they assess the opening weeks of the campaign.
Bradley Barcola was the headline addition to Andoni Iraola's attack, joining from Paris Saint-Germain in a £123million deal. The France international has yet to make his mark at Anfield, however.
Thierry Henry fires Bradley Barcola warning
Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has cautioned that it will take time for Barcola to find his feet at Anfield following his high-profile switch from Paris. The Reds secured the France international towards the end of the transfer window, yet he has endured a quiet introduction to life at Liverpool so far, making five appearances without registering a single goal contribution.
"People forget that the tactic, the team and how you play matters," Henry told Betway. "It's not always easy when you're used to a certain system and a way of playing, where everybody knows what's happening at any time."
"He just arrived in Liverpool, he doesn't speak English, and it's a different style of play with different intensity in the league. I had to deal with it the same way, and then that little switch happened and I was more comfortable."
"You start to speak English, you can joke around in the dressing room, you're a bit less shy and people start to know what you're about."
"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."
"With winning the Champions League back-to-back, playing for France, with the price tag and the quality that he has, people are not going to wait for him to become the finished article, so he's going to have to deliver. There is going to be a level of expectation, and sometimes he is a bit raw in his finishing, but he creates a hell of a lot."
Ex-Red attracting Real Madrid attention
According to SPORT BILD, Real Madrid have registered their interest in former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah. The England international moved to the Bundesliga club for £30m during the summer of 2025.
The Warrington-born centre-back attracted interest from Arsenal during the summer, with the Gunners submitting a £55m bid for the defender, who remains contracted to Leverkusen until 2030. The north London club ultimately switched their attention to Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa instead.
According to BILD, Real are seeking at least two new defensive additions next summer and are keeping close tabs on the former Liverpool man. Should he move to the Spanish capital, he would follow Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold as the third ex-Liverpool defender to join Los Blancos in recent times.
Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in bringing Quansah back to Merseyside. When the original sale was completed, the Anfield hierarchy safeguarded their position by inserting a substantial £70m buy-back clause into the centre-back's contract.
Under the agreed terms, Liverpool would only be required to pay £52m to re-sign the player, though they must exercise their option before June 15 2027.
