Liverpool Salah succession faces biggest test at Bournemouth

Bradley Barcola arrived at Liverpool for £123m this summer and Andoni Iraola said he was “happy” with the deal, but a return to his former club Bournemouth will provide the clearest sign of whether the succession plan for Mohamed Salah works.

Salah’s legacy and the void

Mohamed Salah featured almost exclusively on the right wing for Liverpool – 401 of his 442 appearances came on that side and none on the opposite flank. His trademark goal involved cutting in from the right and curling the ball into the far top corner with his left foot, cementing his status as arguably the Premier League’s greatest right winger.

Replacing a player of that calibre proved puzzling for the Reds. Rather than seek a direct right‑wing replacement, they signed two left‑wingers – Victor Muñoz and Bradley Barcola – to sit alongside the existing left‑wing options Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha.

Winger rotation and the Bournemouth test

“We preferred the best players over a specialist for one position,” Iraola explained when asked about the £123m Barcola signing and retaining Gakpo despite not finding a comparable right winger. “I’m used to demanding all my wingers play both sides… I’ve been happy with the four wingers we have.”

Gakpo has featured on the right only nine times in 185 Liverpool appearances, while Barcola played on the right just 22 occasions in 152 games for Paris Saint‑Germain. Both are natural left‑wingers, so the upcoming Sunday clash against Bournemouth – where they start together for the first time – will test their adaptability.

If either can deliver a convincing performance on the right, it will bolster Iraola’s plan and give Liverpool a clearer picture of their chances for real success this season.