Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has backed his old side to compete for the Premier League title if they add Bradley Barcola and more depth to their ranks. The Reds have had a summer of change with Andoni Iraola arriving on Merseyside from Bournemouth.
New Era Under Iraola
The Spaniard has replaced Arne Slot as head coach at Anfield, with fans expecting a revival of the high-intensity football seen under Jurgen Klopp. Iraola guided the Cherries into Europe for the first time in their history last term, and his new employers will be hoping to see him implement Bournemouth's intense pressing style at Liverpool.
Iraola's arrival follows Mohamed Salah's exit, with a huge hole now left to fill out wide. Paris Saint-Germain star Barcola has been most heavily linked and is understood to be a priority target for the Reds.
Owen's Verdict
Owen, who made 297 appearances for Liverpool, shared his thoughts with The Metro on what the 2026/27 campaign may hold for his ex-club. The former England international is backing a positive season on the Red side of Merseyside.
He said: "Last season at Liverpool wasn’t great, the style of play wasn’t as good as it had been and they conceded far too many goals. But Slot leaving and Iraola replacing him means a new style of play. He brings a lot of excitement from the way he played at Bournemouth, but Liverpool are a much bigger club and the pressure mounts up now."
"I do think Liverpool need more, but it looks like Barcola is the one they want and it will cost them a huge amount of money to get him in. But if they can do that and add more depth, more quality, then they can really challenge for the title."
Transfer Hurdles
Liverpool's hopes of signing Barcola, and potentially competing for the title, have been dented, however. It is understood that PSG have placed a value of around £145million on the 23-year-old, a figure far from the Reds' current valuation.
Liverpool have completed the signing of Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo, but speaking last month, new Reds boss Iraola said his side has 'obvious' areas to address in the transfer market. The 44-year-old said: "I think it is difficult to say a number. When the market is open, you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad."
"There are obvious situations where we need to sign players. Winger for example, we definitely need to sign a winger, but there are other situations where we will have to analyze what the market gives you, what is the cost, how we also see the players we have. We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust, but it is still not the ideal situation, so it will depend on a lot of things."
Liverpool kick off the new campaign at Newcastle United on Sunday, August 23 (4:30pm).
