Did Liverpool Miss a Golden Opportunity by Passing on Struggling Bradley Barcola?

In a perfect scenario, Liverpool might have pursued Anthony Gordon during the summer transfer window, rather than coming close to breaking their transfer record to land Bradley Barcola.

The French winger, whose $163 million price tag was only slightly below the $168 million Liverpool agreed to pay for Alexander Isak, has yet to make an impact in a Liverpool shirt. Six matches into his stint, the two-way threat who racked up 42 goals and assists for Paris Saint-Germain in 2024–25 has contributed nothing for his new side. It's still early, but a transfer fee of that magnitude demands quicker returns.

At this point, Barcola is in danger of becoming another Florian Wirtz—even without Mohamed Salah drawing attention, the German has managed just one assist and no goals so far this campaign.

Things could have played out differently for Liverpool, given the club had shown interest in Gordon.

Unlike Barcola, Gordon is a dynamic winger who is thriving at the moment. He has six goals and assists across nine appearances since joining Barcelona—at a new club in a new league, not unlike Barcola's situation, yet with vastly different outcomes at this point. He also contributed four goal involvements across three England games during the international break. Barcola had none for France.

Andoni Iraola is standing by his players. "Sometimes we have to look beyond just the numbers," the Liverpool manager said on Tuesday. Rightly or wrongly, he has "100% trust" in both Barcola and Wirtz. "Bradley and Florian have had good games, bad games this season, but we know their level, and we are sure they'll give us good performances."

Barcola, Gordon 2026–27 Stats Compared

Data from FotMob: La Liga, Premier League, Champions League, Nations League, Carabao Cup

Liverpool 'Late to the Party'

A genuine Liverpool push would have made considerable sense. Gordon was born and raised in the city, in a family that supported Liverpool. He made his professional name at local rivals Everton, but had spent five years with the Reds as a young boy before that. Liverpool were in need of a Salah replacement, and Gordon was eager to move on from Newcastle United.

Barcelona moved swiftly, recognizing a more financially viable option compared to simply activating the purchase clause in Marcus Rashford's loan deal. The Spanish club announced on May 29 that Gordon would be joining, just five days after both the Premier League and La Liga seasons wrapped up. According to The Times, Liverpool made "efforts" to "divert" the 25-year-old—only 19 months older than Barcola—away from his move to Camp Nou. But the Reds were "late to the party" and those attempts ultimately came to nothing.

Barcelona's total spend on Gordon could just surpass $93 million if performance-related bonuses are triggered. With all add-ons included, Barcola's move to Liverpool is valued at $163 million. Only one of the two is delivering right now, and there is little doubt at this stage which club secured the superior deal.

Barcola Needs Boost From Champions League

Barcola may find that the Champions League offers him more favorable conditions over the coming fixtures than the Premier League has. Not only is it a less physically demanding and more technically oriented competition, the quality of opposition presents a chance to find his rhythm and grow in confidence.

Liverpool travel to Austria to face LASK on Wednesday, one of the weaker sides in the league phase. The following week brings Villarreal to Anfield—a team that only seven La Liga clubs have conceded more goals than (13) through seven domestic outings this season.

By contrast, Liverpool's next Premier League outing is a trip to Brentford, who sit fourth and have conceded just one more than the joint-best defensive record in the division. Brighton & Hove Albion are among the five clubs sharing that top defensive mark and head to Anfield on Oct. 25. The Seagulls humbled Arsenal last month and currently occupy third place.

Following a Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea on Oct. 28, which could be a high-scoring affair, Liverpool kick off November by welcoming Arsenal, the reigning champions, to Anfield.