Liverpool's Late-Window Push: Barcola Takes Priority Over Mbaye

Liverpool’s search for one more attacking spark has taken them back to Ligue 1, but the picture around PSG prospect Mbaye is far less advanced than it first appeared.

French journalist Romain Molina has poured cold water on talk of a major late-window push for the forward, stressing that while Liverpool like the player, he is not driving their plans in the final days of the summer.

“Truthfully, Mbaye is on Liverpool’s shortlist but not as the No. 1 choice,” Molina said, outlining a hierarchy in which the PSG youngster sits behind other targets.

The dynamic around the deal is complicated by the presence of Jorge Mendes. According to Molina, Mbaye’s fate is likely to be shaped more by his agent’s late-window manoeuvring than by a single, focused effort from Anfield.

“Mendes knows very well that at the end of the transfer window there will something for Mbaye, so he will use the clubs where he has the most influence to make things move,” Molina explained, hinting at a broader strategy rather than a Liverpool-led chase.

Barcola the priority, agents under the spotlight

If Mbaye is on the list, his PSG teammate Barcola sits much closer to the top. Liverpool are understood to be putting greater energy into a deal for Barcola, whose representation operates in a very different way to Mendes’ network-driven approach.

Molina underlined that Mendes’ ties with Liverpool are not the key factor this time, especially with PSG demanding big money. “That’s not where he’s most influential, especially with the price currently being asked by Paris Saint-Germain,” he noted.

The contrast with Barcola’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, is stark in Molina’s eyes. “That’s where you see the difference between the two agents. For Mendes it’s not so much the player’s wishes that count, it’s where he has connections with the executives to make things move how he wants. With [Sissoko] it’s the opposite. Even if it means clashing with clubs, even if it means going hard. He wants to go to war for his players."

As Liverpool weigh up whether to push for one or both of PSG’s young attackers, the numbers loom large. A double swoop on Paris might thrill supporters, but PSG are expected to demand more than £150m in total for the pair. That figure forces hard choices.

Alternatives lined up if Mbaye deal stalls

If Mbaye’s price, his position on the shortlist, or Mendes’ strategy push the move out of reach, Liverpool are not short of fallback options.

The recruitment department has already mapped out other wide targets: Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo, and Bournemouth’s Rayan are all being monitored as possible additions to the flanks.

Another name gaining traction is Köln forward Said El Mala. The versatile attacker, comfortable on both wings or through the middle, had previously been linked with Borussia Dortmund. That path has now cleared.

Sky Germany report that Dortmund have stepped away from the race, leaving the door open for Liverpool if they choose to act. Triggering his reported €50m (£42.7m) release clause would put them firmly at the front of the queue.

Clock ticking on Anfield’s attacking puzzle

The attraction of raiding PSG for two of Europe’s brightest young forwards is obvious. The reality of the price is just as clear. Molina’s indication is that, while Mbaye remains under consideration, the financial package involved could yet push Liverpool towards a different, as-yet-unnamed attacking target.

The window is closing. The shortlist is long. Somewhere in that mix, Liverpool still have to decide which forward will be handed the keys to the next phase of their front line.