Carragher questions whether Barcola is the right fit to replace Salah at Liverpool

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has warned that Bradley Barcola may not be the ideal player to replace Mohamed Salah at Anfield, despite growing speculation linking the France international with a move to the club.

Barcola, 23, has been strongly linked with Liverpool ahead of the new season after scoring 13 goals in 49 appearances for PSG last term. The UEFA Champions League winners could consider selling the forward for a significant fee as they look to comply with FIFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

However, Carragher believes Liverpool’s priority should be finding a natural replacement for Salah on the right wing rather than adding another left-sided attacker.

“He’s a great player, there’s no doubt about that I’d love to get Barcola at Liverpool, but he’s a left winger for me,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“Liverpool’s big thing that stands out like a sore thumb right now is replacing Mo Salah, a right winger. And I don’t think Liverpool have got anybody really in the squad who looks fully comfortable playing right wing.”

Salah left Liverpool at the end of last season after a successful nine-year spell at the club, leaving a significant vacancy in the team’s attack. The Egypt international was a regular presence on the right flank for much of his time at Anfield and became one of the club’s most important attacking players.

Liverpool are in a period of rebuilding after finishing fifth in the Premier League last season. That disappointing campaign followed a poor defence of their title in the previous season and ultimately led to Arne Slot losing his job.

The Dutchman has since been replaced by Andoni Iraola, who has taken charge at Anfield as Liverpool prepare for a new era without Salah.

The club do have several options capable of playing on the left. Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and new signing Victor Munoz can all operate in that position, but none is a natural right-sided forward in the same mould as Salah.

That imbalance has added to the importance of Liverpool’s recruitment plans, with the club needing to address the right wing as well as strengthen a squad that struggled to maintain its previous level during the last campaign.

Barcola’s versatility and form have made him an attractive target, but Carragher’s comments underline the question over whether his preferred position matches Liverpool’s most pressing need.

Meanwhile, Salah has yet to agree a move to a new club, despite being linked with Besiktas. Reports in Turkey suggest negotiations between the player and the Turkish club have stalled over financial terms.

Besiktas sporting director Onder Ozen reportedly said the club had held three meetings with Salah before discussions about the financial arrangements began.

“We contacted Salah, this also involved a financing model. Salah is a global star, a respected athlete. We met with Salah three times before the financial part of the negotiations was discussed. Up to this point, everything was smooth. When the financial side began, the initial smoothness slowed down from July 21 onwards,” he said.

The uncertainty surrounding Salah’s next destination continues as Liverpool assess how best to replace the forward and reshape their attack under Iraola.