Liverpool Targets Bradley Barcola as Salah Successor

Liverpool’s pursuit of Bradley Barcola has moved into a new gear, with Fabrizio Romano claiming there is now a “verbal agreement” between the player and the club – and that the “deal is on” for the Paris Saint-Germain winger.

Liverpool lock onto Barcola as Salah heir

Having missed out on Real Madrid’s new signing Yan Diomande, Liverpool have zeroed in on Barcola as their preferred solution to the looming Mohamed Salah void. The squad has already been reshaped this summer with Ronald Araujo, Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet arriving, but the flanks remain worryingly light.

That shortage is one reason the club are exploring the possibility of bringing in two more wingers before the window shuts. Cody Gakpo’s future only sharpens that need, with Tottenham Hotspur circling and the Dutchman viewed as a potential sale if the right offer lands.

Amid all that noise, one name keeps cutting through. Barcola.

Barcola pushes for Anfield move

Romano has repeatedly stressed that personal terms would not be an obstacle, and his latest update on YouTube pushes the story on again. According to him, Liverpool and Barcola now have a “verbal agreement,” with the France international described as someone who “wants to go” to Anfield.

Liverpool, Romano says, are “ready to go strong” to get the deal done with PSG. The club’s plan remains ambitious: secure Barcola and still try to add at least one more winger on top of that.

Barcola’s stance has only fuelled Liverpool’s confidence. Reports in France and England have suggested he does not intend to extend his PSG contract beyond 2028 because his priority is a move to Merseyside.

The fee that could break the deal

Desire is one thing. Price is another.

PSG’s valuation is the major obstacle. Early indications had the French champions demanding around £145m for Barcola alone. Romano then reported that PSG wanted an even bigger combined package – a “crazy” proposal of around 200 million euros – for Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, a figure that pushed Liverpool away from the Mbaye part of the talks.

The message from Liverpool is clear: they are prepared to invest heavily, but not at any cost.

Schira: Liverpool ‘getting closer’ at 125m euros

Italian journalist Nicolo Schira has gone a step further than Romano, claiming Liverpool are now “getting closer” to an agreement with PSG at 125 million euros (around £106m) for Barcola, with a proposed contract running until 2032.

On X, Schira wrote: “Excl. – Bradley #Barcola is getting closer to #Liverpool from #PSG for 125M. Contract until 2032.”

That figure would still represent a huge outlay, yet it falls well short of the initial £145m demands. At this stage, though, such claims sit firmly in the “wait and see” category. PSG’s opening stance suggests they will not fold easily, and it remains difficult to picture them backing down to that extent without a fight.

PSG play it cool in public

Inside the corridors of power at the Parc des Princes, the line remains measured. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has not shut the door on a sale, but he has not thrown it open either.

“We’re working calmly,” Al-Khelaifi said when asked about potential outgoings. “We don’t talk too much. We get things done. All of our players are important. When they sign for PSG, they become important to us.”

It’s classic PSG: protect the asset, keep the leverage, avoid any hint of desperation.

Liverpool, though, know exactly what they want. They need a new reference point on the wing for the post-Salah era, and they believe Barcola can be that player.

Now the question is simple and brutal: who blinks first in one of the summer’s biggest transfer stand-offs?