For most Liverpool fans, the club’s business in the 2026 transfer window likely represents something of a mixed bag. In the end the Reds got their big money move for Bradley Barcola across the line, and the 24year-old French international left winger certainly ticks a lot of boxes on the need front.
His ability to progress the ball and create high qaulity goal scoring opportunities is elite, and the rapid winger’s underlying numbers were better than the goal or assist every 148 minutes he had last
season—and his numbers hold up in the Champions League and with France at the international level.
Squad balance issues aside and leaving out the fact Mohamed Salah played on the right, Liverpool spent £125M to sign their so-called Salah replacement and it’s hard to see an obvious better option they could have or should have moved for. Yet it’s hard to completely set aside those squad balance issues.
Liverpool head into the season with four wingers in Barcola, Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, and Victor Muñoz all more comfortable on the left. They have no players of that calibre naturally comfortable on the right. No players. Zero. Unless we think this is the year Federico Chiesa comes good. And stays fit.
In defence, the opportunistic signing of centre half Ronald Araujo was heartening, but a deadline day push for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto on loan highlighted that the club are desperately thin at fullback, the options they have aren’t entirely convincing, and the club knew it—and then failed to fix things.
Midfield also looks worryingly light, especially after the departure of Curtis Jones. While Liverpool fans enjoyed Monaco’s Lamine Camara rebuffing Chelsea at the last minute because he doesn’t see London’s Blues as being as appealing as the Reds, Liverpool also didn’t sign him—or anyone, for that matter.
All of these issues were present heading into the summer. The club promised via briefing to connected journalists that the club was aware of them, that signings would be made, and that sporting director Richard Hughes would be working hard to fix all the shit he broke over his first two summers in charge.
Head coach Andoni Iraola also recently said he wanted two to three signings—for this year, not for 2027 or 2028—to get done in addition to signing Barcola. He didn’t get them and, in the end, most of the squad issues weren’t fixed. They got their big money Salah replacement. And failed to do the rest.
How, then, do Liverpool Offside readers rank it? Are Barcola and Muñoz and Araujo enough to call the window a minor success? Or will you be popping champagne when Hughes finally exits the club after taking a wrecking ball to the title calibre squad Jürgen Klopp gifted to him and Michael Edwards?
