There might be those at Liverpool fearing the worst following a muted summer window, but Andoni Iraola has already proven he can maximise what he has at his disposal, following that fine recent spell at Bournemouth.
The Basque boss lost almost his entire backline last summer, yet barely kicked up a fuss, while also embarking on a remarkable unbeaten run in the wake of Antoine Semenyo‘s exit to Manchester City on a £64m deal.
Semenyo had helped to kickstart that 18-game streak by netting the winner against Tottenham Hotspur on his final Cherries appearance, with all parties reaping the benefits of that amicable departure.
From a promising Championship talent at Bristol City, the Ghanaian emerged as a Premier League powerhouse under Iraola’s watch, with the future certainly looking bright for Liverpool’s current crop of wingers, therefore.
Semenyo’s record under Iraola at Bournemouth
Those watching on at Ashton Gate a few seasons ago might well be surprised to learn that Semenyo is now a Manchester City sensation, fresh from having scored 17 league goals in 2025/26.
There were signs of promise back in Bristol, including his 20 goal involvements in the Championship in 2021/22, but the London-born speedster didn’t boast the body of work to suggest he could explode at Premier League level.
And yet, the 27-year-old’s rise has been stunning of late, perhaps in large part due to the presence of Iraola, the new Liverpool boss having moved to the south coast in the summer of 2023, six months after Semenyo’s own January switch.
Their first full season working together saw the two-footed winger score eight times and register two assists in the top flight, before he added a further 16 goal involvements during a truly breakout 2024/25 campaign.
A rampant start to 2025/26, following reports of Manchester United interest last summer, saw Semenyo secure a deserved move to the Etihad, having risen from the Championship to the Champions League in double quick time.
|
Semenyo – Stats By Coach |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Coach |
Games |
Goals (Assists) |
|
Iraola |
99 |
31 (13) |
|
Pearson |
72 |
18 (14) |
|
Holden |
35 |
3 (6) |
|
Flynn |
32 |
6 (2) |
|
Guardiola |
16 |
0 (1) |
|
O’Neil |
11 |
1 (0) |
|
Parkinson |
7 |
0 (0) |
|
Simpson |
2 |
0 (0) |
|
Total |
301 |
70 (39) |
The faith and work of Iraola were central to that, with the one-time Newport County winger ultimately scoring and assisting 44 goals in just 99 games under the ex-Cherries boss.
The likes of Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha may well benefit from Iraola’s coaching this season, yet with Mohamed Salah’s void still there to be filled, don’t rule out further incomings.
How Liverpool can sign Iraola’s next Semenyo
The backline at Anfield has been strengthened by the surprise loan arrival of Ronald Araujo, following the prior capture of Jeremy Jacquet, but the aforementioned Munoz remains the only attacking incoming this summer.
Considering Hugo Ekitike remains sidelined, and with Cody Gakpo courting attention from Tottenham Hotspur, there’s a real dearth of depth and genuine quality, the Reds perhaps still left to rue the decision to move on Luis Diaz a year ago.
Alas, it’s better to look forward than in the rear-view mirror, with hopes still high that Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola can be the marquee signing that the Merseysiders are in need of.
In the view of the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele – speaking to talkSPORT – FSG are still “absolutely desperate” to snap up the Frenchman this summer, with Barcola himself also “keen” on the move.
“Barcola himself seems to be quite keen on making the move happen, Liverpool are absolutely desperate to make the deal happen and PSG seem like they’re open to selling.”
Both parties, and the player, appear to be open to this deal going ahead, with finances likely to be the only sticking point, as well as PSG’s own search for a replacement.
If terms can be agreed before the deadline, this would mark such a coup for Liverpool, with Barcola fitting the Semenyo mould as a lightning-fast winger who could be the driving force of Iraola’s forward line.
The key feature of Barcola’s game is his breathtaking speed and innate dribbling prowess, the 23-year-old notably averaging 1.2 successful dribbles per game in Ligue 1 last season, as well as 1.1 per game in the Champions League.
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For comparison, Semenyo was only just ahead with a 1.6 average in the Premier League across his time without Bournemouth and City in 2025/26, so adept at beating full-backs at will.
In Barcola’s case, he certainly made an impact in May’s Champions League final win over Arsenal, stretching the Gunners’ defence off the bench with a handful of searing runs in behind, one of which ended with a shot that flashed into the side netting.
A year earlier, in the thumping 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the showpiece, the former Lyon man also embarked on a stunning, solo run late on, coming agonisingly close to netting one of the great Champions League final goals.
Much like Semenyo, he’s a match winner and a game-changer, someone who can deliver the goods himself or tee up opportunities for teammates.
In 2024/25, for instance, he reached double figures for both goals and assists in Ligue 1, while notably netting 11 league goals last term for the French champions.
While primarily deployed on the left flank, Barcola does mirror Semenyo as a winger who can drift over to the other flank when needed, with his delightful dink against Senegal in the World Cup having come following a burst into the right channel.
He’s the explosive, dynamic winger that Iraola doesn’t seem to have in his arsenal right now, with it exciting to predict what the Liverpool boss can do with such an elite talent, having already seen the likes of Semenyo blossom under his tutelage.
