Liverpool close in on £120m Barcola deal as Salah successor
Liverpool are on the brink of landing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster deal that could reshape their forward line — and shake up the market for Cody Gakpo.
An agreement in principle has been reached with PSG for a package worth around £120million (€140m), with more than £100m guaranteed. The final details are being thrashed out on Thursday, but the framework is in place for one of the headline transfers of the summer.
On Liverpool’s side, sporting director Richard Hughes, CEO Billy Hogan and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon have led negotiations. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has fronted talks for the French champions.
Nothing is signed yet. Until the paperwork is done, the deal is not complete. But the trajectory is clear — and it carries consequences.
Barcola in, questions for Gakpo
Barcola’s arrival would cast an immediate spotlight on Cody Gakpo’s future. The Dutchman has been repeatedly linked with Tottenham Hotspur and has also attracted interest from Manchester City during this window.
A £120m outlay on a wide forward inevitably changes the picture. Minutes in the front line will be at a premium, and clubs circling Gakpo will sense an opening if Liverpool decide to rebalance their squad.
The Salah heir apparent
Liverpool identified Barcola early in the summer as their primary target to succeed Mohamed Salah. On July 29, The Athletic reported that the club were preparing an opening bid; weeks later, they are within touching distance of getting their man.
The 23-year-old has two years left on his PSG deal but made it clear he did not want to extend with the European champions. His stance has been firm enough that he was omitted from the matchday squad for PSG’s Ligue 1-opening 2-2 draw against Rennes on Sunday.
Barcola is committed to joining Liverpool. Key talks between the clubs on Tuesday brought clarity and accelerated the move towards an agreement in principle.
Profile of a £120m winger
A Lyon academy graduate, Barcola offers versatility across the front line. He plays predominantly from the left, yet is comfortable attacking from the right as well, a trait that will appeal to a Liverpool side reshaping life after Salah.
Last season he fought for minutes with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue but still carved out a significant role. He featured 49 times for PSG in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists as Luis Enrique’s side retained the Ligue 1 title and lifted the Champions League for a second successive year.
Since breaking into the PSG first team in 2021-22, Barcola has stacked up 152 appearances, with 39 goals and 37 assists. Those numbers, built in a squad loaded with attacking talent, hint at a player who produces even when he is not the undisputed star.
His summer only strengthened that impression. Barcola played in all eight of France’s matches at the World Cup, scoring three goals and stepping into the spotlight on the biggest stage.
What he brings to Liverpool
This is the jolt Liverpool’s attack has been waiting for.
They need a forward who drives at defenders, plays on the front foot and forces opponents backwards. Barcola fits that brief: direct, quick, purposeful. The kind of winger who changes the temperature of a game with one run.
Andoni Iraola, tasked with imposing a more aggressive, pressing style, would gain another pacy wide option to rotate with his existing forwards. Barcola’s ability to operate on either flank offers tactical flexibility and gives Liverpool different ways to attack deep blocks or hit in transition.
Supporters have spent the summer waiting for a statement move in the final third. This is it. Now the question is not whether Barcola can excite Anfield — it is how quickly he can grow into the role of Salah’s successor and redefine Liverpool’s attacking era.
