Liverpool visits Ipswich Town this Friday, Sept. 4, as part of the third matchday of the 2026-27 Premier League. Reds fans hope to see their new signing, Bradley Barcola, in action.
Barcola, 24, was transferred to the Anfield side from Paris Saint-Germain for €125 million ($145.3m), according to Transfermarkt estimates.
The signing of the French winger is partly in response to the departure of Mohamed Salah, who headed to Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer at the end of his contract with the Reds.
According to SportsMole, Barcola is ready to play on Friday against Ipswich Town, although he could start from the bench. The Frenchman is expected to make his Premier League debut at Portman Road Stadium.
Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Victor Munoz are expected to form the starting attack for Andoni Iraola’s side, keeping the former PSG star as the main option from the bench.
What Can Liverpool Expect From Bradley Barcola?
Barcola is a fast winger with technical qualities that make him a threat to any defender he faces. He is not the best dribbler but has enough quality to give both full-backs and center-backs a hard time.
At PSG, he assumed a very open role, usually on the left side. However, it was not uncommon to see him on the right side as well, since Paris boss Luis Enrique loves the idea that football is multipositional and does not limit his players in that sense.
Barcola even took on the ‘false 9’ role that led Ousmane Dembele to win the most recent Ballon d’Or, although, of course, he did not do it as well as his compatriot and did not particularly stand out there.
The 24-year-old forward prefers to receive through balls from the left side and cuts inside perfectly, both to shoot at the far post or to assist some of his teammates.
Proof of the latterise the 18 assists he recorded during the 2024-25 seaso,n considering all competitions. In that same campaign, he scored 21 goals. The following year, he scored 13 goals and provided 8 assists, once again showing he is a team player beyond his individual abilities.
Liverpool has a golden opportunity to pair versatile players like Barcola, Isak and Hugo Ekitike, who, in addition to sharing the aforementioned quality, are also physically similar. Fast, technically gifted, and capable of playing different roles.
We will see how Iraola manages them without leaving behind Munoz, Gakpo and Wirtz, who evidently also have what it takes to be undroppable pieces for Liverpool. A blessed problem for the Spanish coach.
Ipswich Town vs. Liverpool is scheduled to start this Friday, Sept. 4, at 12:00 p.m. PT, 3:00 p.m. ET, and 8:00 p.m. BST.
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