Liverpool may have ruined their only chance of replacing Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah was undoubtedly been Liverpool's best player over the last few years.

However, thanks to the many fallings out that the Egyptian King had with Arne Slot, Liverpool and the attacker both agreed to terminate his deal a year before it was due to expire.

Most fans thought that this would mean the Reds' main target was going to be a new right-winger.

However, that was far from the case with Bradley Barcola taking until the very end of the window to get brought in.

And, if we're being picky, although the Frenchman can play on the right if needed, Andoni Iraola now has four left-wingers in his squad.

So, realistically, the Anfield outfit still need to find their replacement for Salah but, thanks to their business this summer, they may have already ruined their chances in that department too.

Bradley Barcola was Bayern Munich's first-choice to replace Michael Olise if he exited

Throughout the 2025-26 season, Liverpool were linked with Michael Olise.

Most reports claimed that the Reds saw the attacker as their ideal successor to Salah.

He's a natural right-winger who has a keen eye for goal and can also chip in with an assist or two for his teammates if needed.

Last term alone, he contributed to 53 goals across all competitions which are the exact sort of numbers that the Reds desire.

However, thanks to his importance to Bayern, they were never willing to sell him.

And now, as per an update from Christian Falk, it seems like there's no chance of him leaving thanks to Liverpool's signing of Barcola.

"Liverpool’s interest in Michael Olise has been well-documented in recent times," he wrote.

"However, with it now clear that Bradley Barcola had been identified as a potential successor for his international compatriot (if the need arose), it would appear that the Reds have added some complexity to their potential future transfer strategy.

"It won’t have escaped anyone’s notice that Andoni Iraola’s men failed to sign a natural right-sided winger. Victor Munoz looks well-suited to the position, but the likes of Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and new boy Barcola are all naturally predisposed to playing on the left flank.

"There’s an argument to be made that this may not particularly matter, given that Iraola will commit to rotating his options on either side to build familiarity.

"But Liverpool would no doubt be open to the prospect of adding a player of Olise’s calibre if it meant fixing their right side for the foreseeable future.

"But with Bradley Barcola now at Anfield, this may complicate matters if Bayern can’t find a suitable successor in the event their main man pushes for the exit door next summer."

Liverpool will have to turn their attention elsewhere for a new right-winger

If Liverpool managed to get a deal for Yan Diomande over the line, they'd have been sorted on the right-wing for as long as they wanted to be.

The 19-year-old was their main target throughout the 2025-26 season but, thanks to how well he played, some of the world's biggest clubs also entered the race for him.

This led to many bidding wars emerging with the Ivory Coast international eventually choosing to join Real Madrid for £115.7 million.

And, while Liverpool may have paid more than this for Barcola, the fact that the Frenchman is a lot more proven than the youngster makes the deal for him seem much less risky.

So, if the Reds are wanting a new right-winger, they're going to have to look further afield.

At the moment, Yankuba Minteh feels like the most obvious option but, with Liverpool's interest in Ismaila Sarr also well-documented, it's anyone's guess what could happen.

Here's hoping Iraola can keep the Reds' performance levels as high as they were against Ipswich and can prove everyone wrong.