"It's almost been like Liverpool were Real Madrid," said Jamie Carragher. High praise on the surface. Not the way he meant it.
Liverpool spent €264 million this summer, brought in Bradley Barcola for €125 million on deadline day, and still managed to leave the most obvious hole in their squad completely unfilled. Mo Salah's right flank? Still vacant. The position that defined their attack for eight years? Up for grabs. Instead, Arne Slot's replacement — whoever that ends up being — inherits a squad loaded with left wingers and a gaping question mark on the other side.
Barcola doesn't fix the actual problem
Barcola is a genuinely exciting signing. The 22-year-old lit up Ligue 1 even as a rotation option under Luis Enrique at PSG, and the raw ability is not in question. But he's a left winger. Liverpool also have Cody Gakpo. And Víctor Muñoz. And Rio Ngumoha. On the left.
Carragher's frustration isn't really about Barcola — it's about the logic, or lack of it. "There's no real thought to how it's all going to knit together as a team," he said. That's a damning line from a club legend, and it's hard to argue with the math when you're sitting at four left wingers and zero natural right wingers to replace the most important player in your squad.
The Real Madrid comparison cuts deep because Carragher is right about what separates the clubs' identities. Real Madrid buy galácticos and figure it out later. Liverpool, historically, build systems first and find players who fit them. Klopp's entire tenure was built on that philosophy. Barcola at €125 million feels like the opposite approach — buy the name, worry about the fit later.
Another season outside the title race?
Liverpool finished fifth last season. They sacked their manager. They lost Salah. They've now spent heavily without addressing the core structural issue. The title market will reflect all of that.
Carragher didn't hedge when asked whether this squad can compete for the league. "I don't think anybody inside Liverpool or Liverpool supporters really believe we can win the league this season." That's the former captain, not some outside critic.
Whether the new manager can make four left wingers and a missing right winger work is the central question of Liverpool's entire season. Carragher doesn't think so. Based on what they've assembled, it's hard to see why he's wrong.
