After Barcola & Minteh: Liverpool fans will be on red alert after Sky Sports update

Liverpool are reportedly hoping to sign “2-3 more players” ahead of the transfer window deadline.

Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports on X (formerly Twitter) that Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh are the club’s “top priorities”.

The Merseysiders have already seen two bids for the Gambian rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion.

Liverpool hoping to land both Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh

It should be clear to all now after watching the Reds’ opening draw against Newcastle United at St James’ Park that further reinforcements are essential.

The Rio Ngumoha project at right wing shouldn’t (and probably won’t) be abandoned, given Andoni Iraola’s preference for positionally versatile wingers.

However, the former Chelsea starlet’s apparent struggles indicate that Liverpool would be well-advised to pursue a more naturally right-sided attacker to alleviate some of the pressure on the 17-year-old while he adapts to the position.

Meanwhile, the addition of Bradley Barcola would inject some much-needed elite-level quality into the forward line.

Who could Liverpool’s sixth signing be?

Andoni Iraola’s insistence that Liverpool’s struggles in midfield aren’t solely down to a lack of the right personnel – coupled with the club’s briefing that a natural holding six isn’t deemed necessary at this time – means that we’re unlikely to bolster the midfield department this summer.

In that case, it seems that the position most likely to be strengthened will be centre-forward, with the Reds looking to overhaul the forward line following Mo Salah’s early exit.

This would, technically speaking, leave Liverpool with enough in the way of options across the front three once Hugo Ekitike returns from injury:

Cody Gakpo

Bradley Barcola

Alexander Isak

Hugo Ekitike

Rio Ngumoha

Victor Munoz

Yankuba Minteh

[A third potential offensive signing]

Earlier in August, it was suggested that Newcastle’s out-of-favour frontman Nick Woltemade could be an option we might consider, with the Magpies allegedly open to a loan move.

A deal of this variety would most likely be of value to Iraola’s outfit, given it wouldn’t leave us with the problem of having to spread minutes across three strikers.

However, this particular link seems to have gone rather quiet of late, so it remains to be seen how exactly Liverpool’s recruitment team plans to navigate the next few months of Ekitike’s recovery.