Liverpool's Winger Hunt: Barcola Takes Priority Over Mbaye

Liverpool’s winger hunt is turning into a high‑stakes tug of war with Paris Saint‑Germain – and Ibrahim Mbaye is slipping down the list.

Liverpool push for Barcola as Mbaye talks stall

Liverpool have opened negotiations with PSG for both Mbaye and Bradley Barcola and already have personal terms agreed with the pair. On paper, it looks simple. In reality, the numbers are pulling the deal apart.

PSG value Mbaye at around £43-50m. Liverpool see him closer to £30m. That gap is not closing quickly.

Speaking on RMC Sport’s After Foot podcast, Fabrice Hawkins underlined how awkward the situation has become.

“Ibrahim Mbaye has a contractual agreement with Liverpool,” he said. “What’s really going to be a problem is the agreement between clubs because LFC are already negotiating for Barcola, who is their top priority, they really want to make it happen… Secondly, there’s Ibrahim Mbaye, but PSG are asking for a substantial fee, and at the moment Liverpool aren’t ready to accept that.”

So while Mbaye waits, Barcola drives the agenda.

Liverpool have already tested PSG’s resolve for the French forward with an offer of €115m (£98m) and are prepared to push that towards €120m. PSG originally planted Barcola’s price tag at an eye-watering €170m, later softening to a €145m mark and then €125m. The final figure is still huge, but the direction of travel is clear.

Hawkins suggested the next move from Liverpool could be decisive.

“Liverpool have made different verbal offers,” he explained. “They’ve made offers since the verbal one, but there hasn’t been a written offer yet because, at this level, I think the next written offer will be the one that gets it done.

“We’ve understood that it would be somewhere between €130m and €150m, but in any case, it won’t be below €120m for Bradley Barcola. Everyone involved in this deal thinks there will be an agreement.”

Barcola wants Anfield – and PSG are ready to cash in

Crucially for Liverpool, Barcola’s mind is already made up.

“Bradley Barcola wants to join Liverpool. PSG were informed earlier of his desire, and it was accepted,” Hawkins revealed. “There’s no intention to keep Bradley Barcola.”

That changes the mood. PSG’s stance is no longer about whether they sell, only how much they can squeeze out of the Premier League club for one of their most valuable assets, especially after adding Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Godts to an already crowded forward line.

The pressure finally told on PSG’s original demands, but not enough to bring Mbaye into the same bracket of urgency. As Liverpool sit at the table trying to find “common ground” on Barcola, Mbaye’s deal lags behind, complicated by a valuation Liverpool simply do not share.

Minteh move reshapes the plan

While PSG haggle, another winger has surged into the frame.

According to Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail, Liverpool have now decided to prioritise a move for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh over Mbaye. Liverpool have already seen a £50m bid for Minteh rejected and are preparing a new offer.

The strategy is clear: Barcola remains the headline act, Minteh the emerging co‑star.

We confirmed on Thursday that Barcola is still Liverpool’s top winger target, even as talks for Minteh advance. The ideal outcome for Anfield is bold – sign both Barcola and Minteh and rip up the current winger department in one summer.

If that happens, the question won’t be what Liverpool do without Mbaye.

It will be how the rest of the Premier League plans to live with their new wide options.