Gary McAllister believes Bradley Barcola is the "prestige" signing Liverpool need to move on from Mohamed Salah. The Reds have had a relatively quiet transfer window, but have been pursuing a potentially record-breaking move for the Paris Saint-Germain forward.
Barcola's style fits Liverpool's needs
Aside from Spanish prospect Victor Munoz, the club are yet to fill the void departed by Salah's exit. While Barcola mainly features on the left-wing, McAllister believes the French international's direct and aggressive style can provide the cutting edge which left the club with Salah.
Andoni Iraola's side may have to cough up £145million to sign the 23-year-old, which would surpass the Premier League record of £125m the club set when they signed Alexander Isak last season, although the Echo understands the Reds are willing to play the long game to try and strike a cheaper compromise with PSG. Considering Iraola has admitted his players have struggled with his intense style, McAllister feels Barcola has the characteristics which would suit Liverpool.
McAllister backs 'prestige' signing
The former Liverpool midfielder, speaking exclusively to BOYLE Sports at the opening of its new Motherwell shop, said: "He's an excellent player. He probably plays on a different side from Mo Salah. But I think it's a prestige signing. It would represent a massive coup to get him to come to Anfield."
"I think the way that he plays the game on the front foot and picks the ball up is very positive when it comes to attacking defenders. I think the Liverpool fans would absolutely adore him. He'd be that type."
"But all these big names they've been rumoured to be linked to quite a few players. Which I think is right. I think anytime a player can become available, my feeling is Liverpool should be involved."
"It's an elite club. A wonderful record in the Champions League. And why wouldn't you want to come here? Barcala has played at Anfield under the lights as well, on European nights. It's a great place to play football."
"But getting these big signings over the line is really tough. It's not just about the fee, it's the salary and the whole package. The numbers become, they just become bizarre."
Iraola's energy concerns
Last season, Liverpool were patient in their quest to sign Isak, although Barcola has shown no sign of going on strike to force a move, as the Swede did with Newcastle. Iraola may be particularly keen to sign Barcola after he was left concerned by his players' energy levels during pre-season.
After losing to Monaco at Anfield, the new Reds boss said: "I think we played really good first half, especially the first 30 minutes, but right now probably we don’t have much more in terms of the level required to play like this."
"The ones that it was their first game, or even the ones that it was their second game, they had energy."
"The problem is right now probably they don’t have the energy for 90 minutes and they start to get tired. It will take time with them, we need more training with them."
