Liverpool have finished the summer transfer window with Bradley Barcola as their marquee signing of the year, bringing the French winger to Anfield for a staggering £123 million. That fee makes Barcola the second-most expensive player in Liverpool Football Club history, just behind Alexander Isak's £125 million move from Newcastle.
Liverpool will face Ipswich in just a few hours, and both Liverpool supporters and Premier League fans are eagerly waiting to see whether Barcola will make his debut, and, more importantly, whether he will start the game. FPL fans will also be keeping a close eye on the team sheet to find out whether Barcola immediately enters Arne Slot's successor's plans. Interestingly, we had already published an FPL price estimation article for Barcola before he was officially launched, and our predicted price turned out to be accurate.
If Barcola does play against Ipswich, he could share the pitch with another player whose Liverpool future doesn't look promising at the moment: Alexander Isak.
Isak has a point to prove at Liverpool
Isak remains Liverpool's most expensive signing of all time, having arrived from Newcastle last year for £125 million. His transfer was part of an extraordinary Liverpool spending spree that also included Florian Wirtz, Kone, Kerkez and Frimpong.
At the time, the expectation was clear. Liverpool, under Arne Slot, appeared to be assembling a squad capable of dominating English football for years. Many believed the club were about to begin a new era of domestic dominance.
Instead, almost everything went wrong.
Liverpool were hugely underwhelming throughout the season, and eventually Slot was sacked. One of the biggest disappointments was Isak himself.
The Swedish striker spent a significant portion of the campaign injured, and even when he was available, his performances were often nowhere near the level expected from a £125 million player. The criticism became increasingly severe, with some football fans even beginning to label him as one of the biggest flops in Premier League history.
That makes the current season absolutely crucial for Isak.
Now playing under Andoni Iraola, Isak cannot simply have a decent campaign. He needs to produce an exceptional season to justify a British-record transfer fee and remind everyone why he was considered one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
When Liverpool signed him from Newcastle, expectations were sky-high because Isak was widely regarded as the best Premier League striker behind Erling Haaland. Liverpool need to see that version of Isak again.
His performances under Iraola have not been convincing
Isak did find the net in Liverpool's last game, but the overall performance was still underwhelming. The goal itself was essentially a tap-in, meaning it did little to silence the concerns surrounding his form.
His performances in his first two games under Iraola were also far from convincing.
That is precisely why Barcola's arrival could become so important to Isak's future.
Once Barcola settles into Liverpool's attack, the expectation is that he will operate behind or around Isak and provide the creativity, movement and key passes that could potentially transform the striker's numbers.
Barcola could unlock Isak
On paper, Barcola and Isak could complement each other extremely well.
Barcola is capable of carrying the ball, creating chances, beating defenders and finding dangerous areas in the final third. Isak, meanwhile, thrives when he receives quality service and gets opportunities inside the penalty area.
If Barcola starts consistently producing chances for Isak, the Swedish striker could suddenly find himself scoring regularly.
That could be exactly what Isak needs.
A striker who is already struggling for confidence can look completely different when the players around him consistently create high-quality chances. Barcola could therefore become the player who helps Isak rediscover the form that made Liverpool willing to spend £125 million on him.
There is also the possibility that the two could become one of Liverpool's most dangerous attacking partnerships.
But there is another side to this story.
What happens if Isak continues to underperform?
If Isak continues struggling even after Barcola has settled into the team, Iraola will eventually have to make a difficult decision.
Liverpool's best attacker at the moment is arguably Cody Gakpo, who is also capable of playing as a striker. If Isak continues to underperform for a prolonged period, Iraola could eventually decide that Gakpo gives Liverpool a better attacking output.
That could result in a front four consisting of Gakpo as the striker, Barcola and Victor Muñoz on the wings, and Florian Wirtz operating behind them.
There is another factor that could work against Isak: managers naturally tend to have greater faith in the players they personally bring into a club.
Barcola and Victor Muñoz are Iraola's signings. If both players settle quickly, there is little reason to expect Iraola to drop them simply to accommodate an underperforming player inherited from the previous regime.
Therefore, Isak cannot afford to give Iraola a reason to make that decision.
Ekitike could make things even harder
We also cannot forget about Hugo Ekitike.
The French striker will eventually return from injury, and if he manages to rediscover the form he showed last year, the competition for attacking positions will become even more intense.
Ekitike was arguably the only outstanding player from Liverpool's record-breaking transfer window last year who consistently performed close to expectations. While Isak and several of Liverpool's other expensive additions struggled, Ekitike showed why the club had invested heavily in him.
His return could therefore create another major problem for Isak.
If Ekitike returns strongly, Barcola adapts quickly and Gakpo continues performing, Iraola will have several alternatives. In that scenario, Isak's enormous transfer fee will not guarantee him a starting position.
This is a make-or-break season for Isak
Ultimately, Barcola's arrival could either save Isak's Liverpool career or accelerate its decline.
If the two players develop an understanding, Barcola could provide the creativity Isak needs to rediscover his Newcastle form. A prolific Isak playing alongside a dynamic Barcola could turn Liverpool's attack into one of the most dangerous in the Premier League.
But if Isak continues to struggle despite having a £123 million creator operating around him, the excuses will quickly disappear.
Iraola will have Gakpo, Ekitike, Barcola and Muñoz as alternative attacking options, while Wirtz can provide creativity behind them. At that point, keeping Isak in the starting XI simply because of his transfer fee would become increasingly difficult to justify.
That is why this season is a genuine make-or-break campaign for Alexander Isak.
He could still become the key figure in Liverpool's attack and form a lethal partnership with Barcola. But if that partnership fails to materialise and Isak continues underperforming, Liverpool's record signing could soon find himself on the bench, and potentially even facing an uncertain future at Anfield by the start of next year.