14 Jul 2026 22:05:32
Should make it easier to wrap up Barcola now.
14 Jul 2026 22:18:53
I don't know. I just don't see what all the fuss is about with him.
Maybe I'm completely wrong in this but having watched him about 20 times, I think he's nothing special.
14 Jul 2026 22:21:06
Not for me, just don't think he would cut it in the most physical league in the world.
YNWA, stay safe everyone. ✊?
14 Jul 2026 22:21:25
He prob go partying with Roc Nation, then turn up half cut first day pre season! That's the new modern day footballer.
14 Jul 2026 22:31:00
The LW and RW markets don’t seem to be stacked full of realistic and available options atm, so if I have to pick out of Diamonde or Barcola to spend that sort of money on, it’s Barcola for me. He has shown much more quality, more consistently than Diamonde has, and has been a part of much greater systems in Enrique's PSG and the French national team.
Plus, the AFCON factor affects Diamonde and not Barcola. Do I think either are £100m players? No, but the market is crazy atm and Barcola is a superior player currently to Diamonde and doesn’t have a music label managing him. Even if you base it on this World Cup, Barcola had a far better one off the bench, mainly.
14 Jul 2026 22:31:12
He's quick, he can beat players coming inside, he can beat players on the outside. He can be found in the space behind defenders, he can receive the ball with back to goal and turn players. He'll be difficult to defend against in the Premier League.
He's a good player imo. He could be great. He's not a guarantee, though.
14 Jul 2026 22:37:48
Sorry Kman, pay £100 mill for a player just to be "one of the bench". What a waste of money, would rather take a punt on Bowen.
14 Jul 2026 22:41:28
I actually like the look of him. I like that he's always progressive, looking to pass and receive the return pass, always looking to stretch the backline.
Always moving and trying to make things happen.
Really like how he doesn't touch the ball too much from a standing start, and the speed over 5 yards is so good.
Bags of potential in him.
Probably not as good, but do see a little Thierry Henry in him.
14 Jul 2026 22:54:16
Bowen's too old - he'd just be a waste of money.
14 Jul 2026 22:59:04
Intel design, you have misunderstood Kman's post. He was saying that even based on the World Cup, to him Barcola had looked better coming off the bench than Diomande has when starting.
He's not suggesting we buy a £100m player to sit on our bench.
14 Jul 2026 23:08:57
Barcola seems afraid to get stuck in and take command. Standing on the edges of the game.
Defensively is one part. He needs to get stuck in on that side.
But also on the ball. He needs to demand it way more. Show for it more. Be the guy.
There's a lot there to work with but Iraola would need to work a lot with him to get him to top level.
I think the main work is on the mental side. If he can get his head screwed on and work hard, I think there's a hell of a player there.
He is an expensive project though and a gamble. But torn. On the fence. Will welcome him with hope if he does come.
14 Jul 2026 22:44:39
Bollocks Ron, he done naff all in one of the biggest games on the world stage.
14 Jul 2026 23:10:48
Anyway the losing semi finalists have to play the 3rd/4th playoff so it won't make it much easier to wrap him up.
14 Jul 2026 23:14:26
For me, the craziest part of this is that we would be putting all of our "winger chips" on a player that doesn't even play on the place we need bodies the most.
I know a lot of them "can" play Right Wing, but spending 100m to play him out of position, or even worse, get Rio there, is just a terrible look.
14 Jul 2026 23:18:21
Gotta be honest, I think the exact same about Mbappe. Watched him maybe 30 times for three different teams, and he seems like the French Sterling. All speed.
14 Jul 2026 23:19:48
Average players cost £100m now. The standard of footballers has never been lower.
I thought it was gonna be a good game but Spain absolutely destroyed France. The levels were miles apart. Didn't touch the ball.
14 Jul 2026 23:20:27
Wouldn't be paying over 60m for Barcola, no chance.
15 Jul 2026 00:09:51
The fact we don't seem to be moving away from both him and Diomande with us being led to believe there is no one else about just proves that Hughes is not up to the job for me.
15 Jul 2026 00:49:18
Intel design, as Zeddicus said. I meant that for France he has been mainly coming off the bench and making the desired impact. The whole French team just had a poor game again, Spain. I do agree that he isn't a £100m+ player, but neither is Diomande, neither is Wirtz nor Isak nor 90% of these players going for that sort of money.
Out of the targets we have expressed interest in, he is the best and most established. Unfortunately, I don't have the greatest of faith in our recruitment team plucking out a £40m gem from nowhere like they used to, although I do think Bowen would be a decent option. We could do with both, whilst moving on Chiesa and Gakpo like we should be.
15 Jul 2026 04:06:34
Olise was rubbish against Spain, I wouldn't be paying more than £60 million for him.
15 Jul 2026 06:28:49
Rayan for me. Iraola will know better than anyone if he can play at the highest level, and if he thinks he can, surely we go for him.
15 Jul 2026 06:40:49
Of the two, I would prefer Diomande. Seems more physical, plays RW more often, and is younger. Neither look like £100M+ players, though.
15 Jul 2026 07:02:31
I think Barcola could be great for us. When you think of the type of goals we scored with Mane and Salah under Klopp, we attacked with pace and on transition. Iraola's teams force constant transitions. We need players that, once we force those transitions and they are past the defence, are gone. Barcola is perfect for that. When we got into these positions last year, we couldn't capatalise because we didn't have the pace, then we'd either turn back or get the ball taken off us.
The 100 million that's being mentioned is crazy money, but that seems to be the new 50 million, unfortunately. Just don't write him off because of the fee. He is a very good player and could be a star for us.
15 Jul 2026 07:29:14
Diomande would definitely be my pick of the two for what we need. Even if we don't get Diomande, I still don't want Barcola.
15 Jul 2026 07:30:38
I have seen v little of Barcola, but what I have seen he's looked average enough. As I say, only bits and pieces I've seen of him, but if we do sign him for money talked about, he would want to be a lot better than that.
15 Jul 2026 08:21:52
Ron as usual spouting definitive rubbish. He's barely beat any player all tournament, scored very goals and done very little creatively. So I won't take anything you've just said seriously. Fans are rightly sceptical and if it's a shoot out between him and Diomande I'd actually prefer the latter.
15 Jul 2026 08:44:02
I agree with Ron. I like him.
15 Jul 2026 09:11:45
Barcola is just not the player we need.
I'm tired of hearing of players who can 'play left and right'. No. He's effective on the left and only on the left. Stop trying to put a round peg in a square hole.
I will stick with my prediction based on what I'm aware of.
We will sign Diomande, this deal is still very much on and he is someone we need far more than people think.
We will not sign Barcola.
15 Jul 2026 09:21:12
Barcola really is not that good imo. He has no end product and his decision making is poor. He is very fast and is typical of the modern day obsession of the athlete over the football player. Wide pass for me for the money.
15 Jul 2026 09:32:48
Frode Kippers - 7 appearances - 2 goals and 1 assist. Not saying he is great. However, they are not awful stats.
15 Jul 2026 09:34:40
Cue the whataboutery or similar, but I'm not a fan of having any player who uses a celebration that you see in a gangster rap video (specifically, double gun, "pop, pop, pop", etc). Doesn't belong in football where kids copy their heroes...
15 Jul 2026 10:18:58
Young Rio is better than both Barcola n Diomende, let's spend tha dosh elsewhere, like Rayan.
15 Jul 2026 10:29:37
That's crazy talk, Koptie.
Saying Rio is better than Barcola is crazy enough, but then to go on and endorse the signing of Rayan in the same post is nothing short of lunacy.
Rayan would cost a similar sum to Diomande, and is not even as good as Madueke, never mind Barcola, Diomande and Rio.
There's literally nothing in Rayan's game that tells me he's good enough for us.
15 Jul 2026 11:15:35
Neither for me, thanks!! Not for that sort of money!!
After the huge spend last summer, not quite going to plan, we need to get this right and neither player is worth anywhere near the amounts banded about.
I'd rather someone like Bowen with very low risk who's proven in the PL even with a struggling WH side.
Diomande just seems like this summer's latest fashion accessory and flatters to deceive in my opinion.
Let's hope Iraola is allowed some input and has some of his own ideas of who he'd like to work with.
15 Jul 2026 11:17:54
Any team with RN starting on either wing is not going to win the PL or any L for that matter. It's as simple as that. I'd wager Mike Gordon & Co. recognise that fact. Go get Barcola and Diomande. Both will be fantastic for us under Iraola.
15 Jul 2026 11:21:51
100m for a guy who not even a regular for his club? Miss me with that stuff.
15 Jul 2026 11:43:14
Never once have I watched Barcola and thought world beater. The lad is all pace, no end product. He's young, that he might get better, but honestly don't think he's progressing. I think this now is his level. Not £120m for me. Diomande is a small sample size, strong, athletic, half-decent end product. Not a £130m player for me. If nothing's available, I'd rather get Bowen or similar as a stop gap, and see where the market is next summer.
Barcola cheap or out of contract. Diomande may not have another good season, other options may come available. We missed out on Grav just to sign him when it didn't work at Bayern. Next season is a transition anyway. It'll take them that long to get the fitness back up after that circus last season.
15 Jul 2026 12:04:58
Well, he's fast but that's about it. He has never impressed me and the price tag is ridiculous. 100M for a player who is basically the weak link in the PSG team. Very little end product, not interested in defending, and basically a left winger.
If we're going to spend 100M, we can get a very good RW and a very good RB, which is what we need. I doubt the club is actually pushing for this.
15 Jul 2026 12:22:00
Between Barcola and Diomande, I would choose Kvaratskhelia.
15 Jul 2026 12:29:27
So we can have 3 x 100m+ players who are underperforming? No thanks.
15 Jul 2026 13:07:15
Still think Gakpo will be our 1st choice left winger next season.
15 Jul 2026 13:12:31
@ He drank, the club is pushing to sign Barcola according to the ITKs that I trust and believe. I'd like to see your suggestions for both RB and RW that we require.
15 Jul 2026 14:47:49
How so? They've still got to play for third place on Saturday.
15 Jul 2026 14:54:16
Seems it didn't take people too long to forget Ned's post and start with the abuse.
It's ok to have differences of opinion, but calling people out or telling they are spouting nonsense is just not needed.
Amazing the amount of keyboard warriors.
15 Jul 2026 16:02:12
@Shankly's ghost, sure I'm quite happy to give my opinion as long as you don't chew me out! I'm in no position to argue with the ITKs, I just don't think he's what we need. Regarding RB and RW (and let me say, first, I am not Dutch or a Feyenoord fan, I just happened to have watched all their games last year). I'd love us to get Givairo Read from Feyenoord as an RB to rotate with Connor when he's back. Still only 20, got 10 assists last season and can actually defend properly as well as attack. Fast, and a real worker too. The RW who really catches my eye is Adeyemi at Dortmund.
Two-footed too, so no problem switching wings, which sort of dovetails nicely with Munoz. Just coincidence, but Feyenoord's Hadj Moussa is another RW who I have a lot of time for. Algerian international who had a mediocre World Cup, which is a good sign. Very left-footed, and doesn't have lethal speed, but really skillful, really good at getting into the penalty area and causing havoc. Another real fighter too, the sort of player Liverpool fans warm to. We ought to be able to get two of these three for less than 100M. Hope that's some food for thought. Cheers.
15 Jul 2026 16:35:36
HDS - Adeyemi signed for Barca already.
15 Jul 2026 19:52:06
No chewing out meant nor intended, Hds! ? Adeyemi is a Barca signing and none of those left are top level players though. And we need too level players. IMO.