Liverpool transfer deadline day LIVE: Gakpo decision, double deal, $41M bid, Sarr and Minteh latest

Thierry Henry says Liverpool fans should get excited about the signing of Bradley Barcola for a fee that could reach $166 million (£123 million), though he has warned of a potential weakness.

"Very excited," Henry said on Sky Sports Monday Night Football when asked if Liverpool fans should be enthused about the deal, which was officially confirmed earlier that day.

"It depends on how you are going to play. Are you going to be able to put him in one-vs-one situations? If you want to play on the counter, he is fast as hell.

"But are you going to make him defend way more than he is going to attack? That might not be something that is very suitable for him.

"Other than that, the last thing I will say, he needs to finish a tiny bit better. If he does that, a lot of teams will be in trouble."

It was not just over the last few months that the Reds became convinced of Bradley Barcola's quality.

According to The Athletic, he has been closely watched by Liverpool's scouts since he broke through at Lyon in 2021.

He is also said to have impressed Jurgen Klopp and his coaches with his performance off the bench during a friendly against Liverpool in Dubai in December 2022.

That was during the World Cup in Qatar, and he moved to PSG the following the summer.

Looking further into the future, Liverpool is hopeful of tying up transfer moves for two 18-year-old talents in moves that came somewhat out of the blue on Monday.

Lucca Brughmans, the teenage goalkeeping talent from Genk, and Djylian N'Guessan, an exciting forward currently at Saint Etienne, would be arrivals in the summer of 2027, rather than now, assuming those deals are successfully tied up.

Brughmans could potentially help replace Alisson Becker next summer, when the Brazilian's contract expires, while N'Guessan is a French youth international who starred at last year's U20 World Cup.

Harvey Elliott has spoken to reporters in Spain ahead of signing for Valencia on a season-loan loan from Liverpool, with the 23-year-old heading to La Liga in search of regular game time.

"An incredible club," Elliott told reporters in Valencia after he landed in Spain to undergo his medical.

"I'm really thankful for the opportunity. I'm going to play as well as I can here and I know the history of the club.

"It determines a lot of hard work and I'm going to give everything I have for Valencia. It happened quite quick and I was ready for the call.

"It's just making sure I'm ready to come here and play and I am. I'm here now and I'm looking forward to it.

"The goal is to get Valencia into European football. It is an increidble club and I want to do the best I can for them. I feellike with the tema, we can do that, but it is going to be a hard season.

"I'll play anywhere. I'm just happy to play football. But as a number 10, that is where I think I am the most effective."

Liverpool's new number 29, Bradley Barcola, spoke yesterday for the first time since arriving from PSG.

"It's a great pride to be able to play for Liverpool. I'm very happy," Barcola told club media. "It took a long time but I'm really happy today to be able to play for Liverpool and all I want is to be on the pitch and be able to play.

"I hope to achieve very big things. First of all, winning the Premier League — it's one of my biggest dreams in my life. It is to do that and to stay in this team in the long term — that's why I signed a long contract — and I hope I can do it."

Click here to read article