Simon Jordan has argued that Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola from PSG should not set off alarm bells after suggestions that the Reds are spending too much on new signings.
Liverpool – under Jurgen Klopp – developed a reputation for being shrewd spenders, signing the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson for relatively low fees.
That said, the game has changed. The £30m-odd fees paid to sign Salah and Mane would be £70m fees in the current landscape. When Salah, in particular, was signed, it was off the back of a season in which the Egyptian managed 19 goals and 14 assists for AS Roma. He wasn’t some unknown talent either, after playing for Chelsea, regardless of how his time at Stamford Bridge ended up.
The money paid for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak – with Barcola set to arrive on a £120m valuation – was not small, but they proved their worth with sensational numbers for Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United and PSG respectively.
They’re yet to show that level at Liverpool, but they haven’t magically become useless overnight. A season of mismanagement under Arne Slot needs to be remembered as a major factor in their decline. Injury blighted Isak’s first season at Liverpool, and so patience will be needed for them to return to previous heights under new manager Andoni Iraola.
“[Isak was] coming from Newcastle, albeit Newcastle fans will say they are a big club. [Barcola], coming from PSG, having dominated Europe and having played a significant part in what is a team that has been recognised as the best team in Europe, I think is a better blueprint,” Jordan told co-host Jim White.
?"A big game player!"
?"Could be a roaring success!"
Simon Jordan backs Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola from PSG! pic.twitter.com/o4LSlzRPmX
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 27, 2026
Jordan continued: “Isak has got a whole combination of challenges behind the reasons why his form hasn’t hit, including his own outlook and disposition and the way the transfer deal was carried on.
“But [Barcola] is a player who — you saw him in the World Cup — that’s very capable of performing at the highest level. It signals Liverpool’s intention.
“It tells you how much money is in the Premier League, that they’re just taking players from clubs like PSG, that don’t need the money.”
