According to insider Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with 23-year-old French winger Bradley Barcola from PSG, and the total cost of the impending deal, including bonuses, is estimated to be around £120 million. This potential transfer has raised questions regarding the future of 27-year-old Dutch forward Cody Gakpo at Anfield. BritBall.Net analyst Andrei Dyumin has dissected why manager Andoni Iraola would prefer to keep both talents.
At first glance, the arrival of the French star might appear to be a direct replacement for Gakpo, yet a detailed statistical analysis reveals that the players have fundamentally different profiles and can complement each other effectively.
Comparison of last season's statistics
- Bradley Barcola (PSG, Ligue 1): 29 matches (averaging 60 minutes per game), 11 goals (8th in the league rankings), 1 assist, 2 yellow cards, 36 goal-scoring chances created, and 38 successful dribbles.
- Cody Gakpo (Liverpool, Premier League): 36 matches (averaging 76 minutes per game), 7 goals (35th place), 5 assists (17th place), 3 bookings, 54 goal-scoring chances created, and 34 successful dribbles.
Barcola's key strengths lie in his explosive speed, aggressive dribbling and dominance in one-on-one situations, allowing him to break through tightly packed defensive lines. Gakpo, on the other hand, offers a high level of creativity and tactical versatility: the Dutchman is capable of playing on the left wing, as a withdrawn striker, or at the centre forward position, as demonstrated by his goal in the season opener against Newcastle United.
In the context of a busy schedule in the Premier League, Champions League and national cups, retaining both players will provide Iraola with the necessary squad depth and tactical flexibility to adapt to any opponent.
