Liverpool have already strengthened their attack with the signing of Osasuna winger Victor Munoz this summer, but further reinforcements are required to offset the loss of Mohamed Salah.

Andoni Iraola has arrived from Bournemouth with his own vision for the squad, beginning his tenure at Anfield by bringing compatriot Munoz to Merseyside.

The 22-year-old forward has joined the Reds in a deal reportedly worth £40million, and while he should help ease the impact of Salah’s departure, replacing the Egyptian’s remarkable output will require considerably more firepower.

With that in mind, GIVEMESPORT have identified four attacking players Iraola should consider targeting this summer.

Bradley Barcola

Age: 23

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

With Yan Diomande reportedly eager to join Paris Saint-Germain, a market opportunity could emerge around the French champions. His arrival would leave Luis Enrique with an abundance of wide attacking options, including Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola.

Should Diomande arrive at the Parc des Princes, one player will surely need to make way, and reports indicate that Barcola is the most likely to be sacrificed. Arsenal have been linked with the France international, but Liverpool are also understood to be hugely keen on the player.

Although not always a regular starter last season, Barcola still registered 21 goal contributions across all competitions for the Champions League winners. Blessed with electric pace, exceptional dribbling and intelligent movement, the 23-year-old possesses many of the qualities needed to soften the blow of Salah’s departure, while his ability to play on either flank would make him an ideal fit for Iraola’s attack.

Said El Mala

via Reuters

Age: 19

Club: Koln

Rather than pursuing an established star like Barcola, Liverpool could instead target a younger player with the potential to develop into a top-class attacker. FC Koln’s Said El Mala fits that mould, having enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the Bundesliga last season at just 19 years of age.

A product of Koln’s academy, El Mala scored 13 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions for the newly promoted German outfit. This outstanding return has sparked interest from across Europe, with Liverpool mooted as potential suitors.

The tricky wide man operates primarily off the left, but has been used as a striker and a number ten on a handful of occasions. Completing over two dribbles per 90 minutes (as per FotMob), El Mala would replace Salah’s direct running, while also offering a consistent goal threat from out wide.

Matias Fernandez-Pardo

Age: 21

Club: Lille

El Mala isn’t the only young winger making waves across Europe to have emerged on Liverpool’s radar. Matias Fernandez-Pardo presents the decision-makers at Anfield with an alternative to the German, and is understood to be available this summer after enjoying an impressive season with Lille.

Netting eight goals and providing seven assists in 2025/26, it was a productive campaign for the Belgian in Ligue 1. Liverpool are keen on Fernandez-Pardo, although he’s said to be valued at a hefty £60 million and is also garnering significant interest from Manchester United and Aston Villa.

On top of this, negotiations over the 21-year-old’s future are likely to be delayed by his participation in the World Cup. Liverpool would therefore need to remain patient, but his underlying creative numbers indicate he has all the attributes to develop into one of Europe’s most exciting wide attackers.

Yankuba Minteh

via Reuters

Age: 21

Club: Brighton & Hove Albion

If Liverpool are looking for a Premier League-proven option, then they should look no further than Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh. While the likes of El Mala and Fernandez-Pardo represent exciting options, neither have played at a level as high as the English top flight, and thus, both players would incur an element of risk.

As for Minteh, while his output has flattered to deceive at Brighton, there have been enough flashes of quality from the Gambian for a top club to consider taking a punt on him. Liverpool have added the Seagulls star to their transfer shortlist, and given the south coast club’s track record of sanctioning the departures of their biggest stars, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a deal materialise.

Minteh only scored three goals for Brighton last term, but there is a feeling that he could offer significantly more if surrounded by better players and in a more coherent system. He is an excellent carrier of the ball, which will aid Liverpool’s flailing ball progression, while he has shown a capacity to play the final pass at the end of moves with consistency.

Arsenal are on the hunt for midfield reinforcements this summer, with Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta drawing up a shortlist of five potential options.

Despite winning the Premier League last season, the Gunners’ hierarchy aren’t prepared to rest on their laurels. They’re eager to add more firepower to their squad, with the middle of the park evidently a position of concern.

Martin Zubimendi struggled in the latter half of last season, while Myles Lewis-Skelly remains something of an unknown quantity in midfield. Thus, Declan Rice needs a reliable and durable partner who can also take the reins when the England international is unavailable.

The BBC reported on Monday night that Arsenal have enquired about Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who is one of five targets the North London club are considering.

With that said, GIVEMESPORT have decided to rank all five candidates in order of priority for Berta and Arteta this summer.

5

Curtis Jones

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Age: 25

Club: Liverpool

Curtis Jones is seemingly on his way out of Liverpool after spending another season somewhat on the periphery of proceedings at Anfield. There are suggestions that just €25million could be enough to prize the Reds’ academy graduate away from Merseyside, and this prospective fee should surely prompt interest from several top clubs.

Jones has been heavily linked with Arsenal in the past, and while reports on this front have been minimal this summer, it would be silly to rule out a Gunners move for a player Arteta is supposedly so fond of. An excellent passer who is nimble enough to be effective in the final third but defensively strong enough to play as an eight, he has the right balance of attributes to make him an exciting prospect at Arsenal.

That said, Jones certainly cannot operate as a lone six, and the North Londoners arguably need someone who can do that as well as playing as an eight.

4

Manu Kone

via Reuters

Age: 25

Club: Roma

Manu Kone is undoubtedly a talented midfielder who should be snapped up by a more established Champions League club, despite Roma qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious competition. However, the purported price tag that has been placed on the Frenchman makes it hard for Arsenal to justify making a move for him.

£43million has been mooted for Kone, a fee that reflects someone who would play an incredibly prominent role and is well-rounded, rather than a sporadic squad player with a handful of exciting tools. The Gunners should steer clear, and instead pursue one of the two promising youngsters on this shortlist, both of whom have a much higher ceiling than the 25-year-old Roma star.

Despite developing a reputation as a silky operator in possession, the data suggests that Kone’s primary attributes at this stage of his career are his carrying, completing 1.06 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A last season. While this would be useful for Arsenal, the Gunners need someone who adds more value in possession through passing.

3

Alex Scott

Age: 22

Club: Bournemouth

Similarly to new Tottenham signing Mateus Fernandes, Alex Scott is yet to demonstrate that he has the capacity to provide real value in possession. However, this may be a byproduct of Andoni Iraola’s system at Bournemouth, which generally relies on ball progression via the centre-backs’ long and direct passing, rather than methodical build-up through midfield.

Arsenal are said to be interested in Scott, although the Cherries’ supposed reluctance to sanction the player’s departure may ultimately present a stumbling block in the deal. The top line in the reporting seems to indicate that the Gunners would need to fork out a substantial sum to tempt Bournemouth into selling one of their prized possessions.

His ceiling is arguably higher than Fernandes’, so Arsenal could certainly justify spending big on the England international. However, they’ll need to be cautious regarding this fee, as there are still reservations about whether Scott can develop the passing ability required to play in a possession-dominant side.

2

Ayoubb Bouaddi

Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA

Age: 18

Club: Lille

Ayyoub Bouaddi doesn’t turn 19 until October, yet he’s already enjoyed two impressive full seasons in the Lille first team. To have played this volume of minutes at a top club in France at this age is an extremely encouraging sign when looking to project forward about what the Moroccan might become.

Thus, the purported price demands from Lille are more reasonable than the fee Bournemouth are looking for for Scott. Bouaddi has superstar potential, and this wonderkid pedigree comes with hefty demands from the selling club.

Arsenal have reportedly already made a £52 million bid for the 18-year-old, and it’s believed that Lille are holding out for more. Given he has displayed similar qualities to Scott and Fernandes, boasting exceptional defensive output and carrying abilities, but is younger and likely cheaper, the Gunners should prioritise Bouaddi over his Premier League counterparts.

1

Bruno Guimaraes

via Reuters

Age: 28

Club: Newcastle United

Despite being considerably older than three of Arsenal’s other primary midfield targets, Bruno Guimaraes is by far the best option available to Berta and Arteta. The Gunners are in a win-now window — their rivals are in transition, while their best players only have a handful of seasons left playing together in their prime.

Thus, Arsenal need to take advantage of this period in which they have the opportunity to dominate English football. They need to sign a world-class midfielder who will complement Declan Rice, but who is also capable of filling the void left by the Englishman if he’s unavailable.

Guimaraes is the perfect candidate. He’s in his prime, may reportedly only cost upwards of £80million and is extremely well-rounded.

The Brazilian is an outstanding passer, contributes in the final third and can carry a midfield defensively by himself. If paired with Rice, Arsenal would arguably have the best double pivot in the Premier League, and one of the best in the world.

If the Gunners were trying to build to be the best team in Europe in three or four years, then one of Bouaddi or Scott would be the sensible move. However, they’re looking to retain their status as the best side in the country, making Guimaraes the ideal acquisition.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 30/06/2026

Paraguay are set to face France in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, and one of the South American nation’s legendary figures has sparked uproar with his comments ahead of this knockout tie in Philadelphia.

La Albirroja secured their place in the last 16 by causing the upset of the previous round, beating Germany on penalties in Boston. Meanwhile, France blew Sweden away in New Jersey to book their place in this encounter.

AI has predicted this match-up to be a stroll in the park for Les Blues, and certain figures in French football agree with this sentiment.

Former France star Christophe Dugarry has expressed how confident he is that Didier Deschamps’ team will progress, and ex-Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert has hit back at the World Cup winner in an unhinged social media rant.

Mike Segar via Action Images via Reuters

The game between France and Paraguay may not kick off until late on Saturday evening in Europe, but the battle has already commenced off the pitch.

Dugarry, a former Birmingham City player and member of the French squad that won the 1998 World Cup, claimed that Deschamps’ outfit will humiliate Paraguay at the Philadelphia Stadium.

“Paraguay will be thrashed, humiliated,” he said on RMC Sport. “They will want to defend because they are incapable. Incapable. I say it twice to make it clear. Offensively, they are catastrophic.”

Chilavert, who made 74 caps in between the sticks for Paraguay between 1989 and 2003, didn’t take these remarks well.

The former shot-stopper screenshotted Dugarry’s quote, and shared them on X, with the caption: “Christophe, you’re right. In the ’98 World Cup, we faced the French, and now Py [Paraguay] will face a team from Africa.”

Unsurprisingly, this outlandish comment has prompted significant backlash online.

One fan wrote: “I really liked Chilavert when all I knew about him was that he was a good GK who scored banger free kicks. What a tosser he turned out to be.”

Another added: “What an idiotic take.”

Meanwhile, one supporter wrote: “Disgraceful thing to say.”

Another fan went more directly to the point, labelling these comments “disgustingly racist”.

Paraguay Need Another Miracle to Beat France

Peter Cziborra via Action Images via Reuters

While many players in Deschamps’ squad have African heritage, all but Brice Samba, Marcus Thuram and Michael Olise were either born in France or in a French Overseas Territory, and were developed through French academies.

This is a French team that will be fired up to dismantle Paraguay after hearing these comments, and they have a good chance of doing so.

The CONMEBOL side defended their box excellently against Germany, but scored on one of their only forays forward across the 120 minutes, and this style of play simply won’t suffice against a French outfit brimming with confidence and oozing with attacking quality.

For Paraguay to progress, they’d either need all of France’s attackers to endure a significant off day, or for Deschamps’ players to miss all the chances presented to them.

If Gustavo Alfaro’s team do somehow pull off the impossible, it’ll be one of the great World Cup upsets.