Jason McAteer would take Barcola over Diomande at Liverpool

Bradley Barcola and Yan Diomande are the 2 names who’ve been talked about most prominently when it comes to potential incomings at Liverpool up to now this summer season.

The Reds had been strongly linked with the teenage RB Leipzig winger all through June, and there have been even studies that non-public phrases had been agreed, however the Ivory Coast worldwide is known to have chosen Paris Saint-Germain as his subsequent membership (The Athletic).

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In the meantime, the present PSG ahead is reportedly the Merseysiders’ ‘prime goal’, and Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Frenchman is now not thought of ‘untouchable’ on the Parc des Princes.

McAteer states his desire between Barcola and Diomande

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer believes that Barcola can be the extra preferable of these two wingers for the Reds to signal, given the 23-year-old’s superior expertise on the highest degree in European soccer.

Talking to Betarades.gr (by way of Liverpool Echo), the Birkenhead native mentioned: “Between Diomande and Barcola, I might in all probability go for Barcola proper now. I don’t suppose Liverpool want to purchase potential anymore. I feel we came upon final season that potential doesn’t essentially work on a regular basis.

“You type of want to purchase a bit extra of a completed article and somebody you may belief just a little bit extra. I simply suppose Barcola’s performances on this World Cup have proven extra maturity than Diomande.”

Barcola’s better expertise edges it

When analysing the respective statistics of the 2 wingers within the 2025/26 season, there isn’t an enormous discrepancy of their returns, scoring the identical variety of targets in a broadly related tally of minutes on the pitch.

Bradley Barcola
Yan Diomande

Minutes performed (2025/26)
2,971
2,724

Targets scored (2025/26)
13
13

Minutes per objective
228.54
209.54

Figures from Squawka analysing their underlying efficiency metrics additionally present that each gamers are comparatively well-matched, with Diomande maybe edging it general.

Nonetheless, as McAteer justifiably says, Barcola would come to Liverpool with extra confirmed high quality on the highest degree in Europe, having gained the Champions League twice and scored as many senior profession targets as his Leipzig counterpart has had first-team appearances.

Barcola
Diomande

Profession appearances
199
46

Profession targets
46
15

Profession targets per sport
0.23
0.33

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On that foundation, the Frenchman would appear higher positioned to present the Reds that prompt injection of high quality that they want within the huge attacking positions, somewhat than paying large cash for potential to return good in two or three years’ time.

The funds concerned in signing the PSG ahead will doubtless be substantial – Luis Enrique’s facet reportedly worth him in extra of £115m (The Athletic) – however the Anfield hierarchy completely should usher in a marquee addition in that position earlier than the summer season switch window shuts on 1 September.

Ideally that’d be Barcola, however Diomande ought to not be dominated out both, even when his obvious desire is for a transfer to Paris.