Liverpool are still going after Bradley Barcola.
It’s a transfer story that has hung around since the start of the transfer window.
The latest update is that the club are holding key talks with Paris Saint-Germain to establish whether a deal can be reached for the France forward.
Barcola is Liverpool’s preferred target to replace Mohamed Salah, who left the club at the end of last season. The 23-year-old is understood to be committed to moving to Anfield and has made clear he does not want to extend his PSG contract, which expires in 2028.
The talks have stalled because PSG value Barcola at about £145m, while Liverpool want to negotiate a fee closer to £100m, taking into account his contract situation and preference for a move.
It is something of a bad look for Liverpool that this has dragged on for so long. Over the past decade, the club have not particularly been known to involve themselves in long-running sagas. They have been smart as well as fast in doing business.
The wing is also a priority position to strengthen. Last summer, when they shelled out nearly £500m on new players, they failed to strengthen the wings. Yet since then, they have lost two world-class wingers in Luis Diaz and Salah.
Victor Munoz has come in, but the club need more. This week’s talks appear to be aimed at deciding once and for all whether a deal can be done for Barcola with only a few days left in the window. If those talks are not fruitful, then Liverpool would have to pivot really quickly.
What should I know about Barcola?
Barcola joined PSG from Lyon in August 2023 after coming through the club’s academy and making his first-team breakthrough during the 2021-22 season. He had seven goals and 12 assists in 47 appearances for Lyon. At PSG he has made 152 appearances, producing 39 goals and 37 assists.
He played 49 times for PSG last season, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists as they won Ligue 1 and the Champions League. He has mainly operated on the left wing but can also play on the right.
The player has struggled for minutes at PSG due to competition for places with other elite attackers, namely Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue, who are generally preferred by Luis Enrique.
