Liverpool's Attacking Rebuild: Beyond Barcola and Mbaye

Julien Laurens has warned that Liverpool’s attacking rebuild cannot stop at Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye – even if the club pull off their ambitious double swoop from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Reds are accelerating plans to reshape their forward line as they prepare for life after Mohamed Salah. Barcola has emerged as the priority target, with PSG team-mate Mbaye also under serious consideration as part of a blockbuster package.

But speaking on Sky Sports at 17:45 on Tuesday, August 18, European football specialist Laurens questioned whether those two alone would be enough to complete Liverpool’s summer business in attack.

He believes another striker still has to come through the door.

“I still think that until [Hugo] Ekitike comes back from injury – it’s a long one, we’re not sure exactly when it will be – they probably need a back up to Alexander Isak. Especially if Cody Gakpo goes,” Laurens said.

“You’re only left really with Isak as your nine. Ok, you could look at [Federico] Chiesa, you could look at maybe other options like a [Dominik] Szoboszlai as a false nine, or Curtis Jones as a false nine.

“But I still think they would need a backup striker there until Ekitike comes back.

“It could be a loan, it could be like the [Ronald] Araujo deal they did for the defence.

“Then also that midfield needs a bit of a rebuild, especially for the way Iraola wants to play, very different to Arne Slot. I’m not sure right now this midfield is exactly what he would want.”

The message is clear: wide reinforcements alone won’t solve the structural issues. Laurens sees gaps both through the middle of the attack and in the heart of the team.

Liverpool chase ‘double discount’ in Paris

Liverpool know they are shopping at the very top end of the market. PSG value Barcola at a hefty £145million, a fee that would instantly place him among the most expensive signings in Premier League history.

Adding Mbaye on top of that would send the overall outlay soaring, yet the Merseyside club sense an opportunity.

There is confidence that Barcola’s price can be driven down to around £125million, with Mbaye potentially available for as little as £30million. A combined £155million still represents a huge investment, but inside Anfield it is being viewed as a possible “double discount” compared to the original demands.

TEAMtalk report that Liverpool officials are already in Paris, working on the ground to try to push both deals over the line. Talks are ongoing, with a gap in valuations still to be bridged, but the club remain optimistic that an agreement can be found.

PSG’s stance offers encouragement. Barcola and Mbaye have both been frozen out of first-team involvement while their futures are resolved, a clear indication that the French champions are prepared to sanction exits if the numbers are right.

That gives Liverpool leverage – though not yet a breakthrough.

For now, there is no clarity on how close the Premier League side truly are to completing either move. The negotiations are live, the interest is concrete, but the finish line has not yet appeared.

What seems equally clear is the knock-on effect. If Liverpool do land both Barcola and Mbaye, a permanent out-and-out striker signing becomes highly unlikely in this window. The budget, and the squad balance, would be stretched to the limit.

That leaves one final dilemma: with time ticking and the market thinning out, can they still unearth a smart loan to cover the No. 9 role until Ekitike returns, or will they be forced to gamble on makeshift options in a season that allows little room for error?