Liverpool's Pursuit of Bradley Barcola Intensifies
Liverpool’s pursuit of Bradley Barcola is very much alive, with senior figures at Paris Saint-Germain and Anfield locked in direct talks over a deal the Reds are determined to close before the transfer window slams shut.
The Premier League club are scrambling to reshape their attack after Mohamed Salah’s departure to Trabzonspor at the end of last season. One winger is already through the door in Victor Munoz from Osasuna. More are expected. They need them.
Barcola sits right at the top of Liverpool’s list for the left flank, while Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh has been targeted on the opposite side, with two bids already lodged for the Gambian as they search for a right‑sided option.
Romano: “The deal is alive”
Fabrizio Romano moved to cool some of the wilder speculation around Barcola’s price and underlined just how serious Liverpool are about getting this done.
“On Bradley Barcola, guys, I told you since the beginning, it is not going to be €170m,” he said on his YouTube channel. “With all respect for PSG, the feeling of those in the industry has always been that it is never going to be €170m, but it will still be a big amount of money.”
The numbers being thrown around may be inflated, but the negotiations are very real.
“And this is why Liverpool and PSG are having a direct exchange day by day. So, the conversation is continuing behind the scenes,” Romano explained. “I told you the updates, the media updates on this story are not so traditional, like an official bid, this money, accepted, rejected, because this is a direct conversation between directors, between owners.”
No staged leaks. No play-by-play of offers going in and out. Just two clubs talking at the top level.
“So, they are talking in a direct way, Liverpool and PSG, but the deal is alive. Barcola is absolutely, absolutely a deal that Liverpool want to complete in the next few days, and my expectation is absolutely for Liverpool to go very strong for Barcola.
“Then you still need to reach an agreement for PSG to have the ‘Here We Go’. So, that remains the story and Liverpool are going very strong for Bradley Barcola. And then they want one more if Gakpo goes to Tottenham or Man City.”
That last line is crucial. Barcola is not the end of the rebuild. He is a central piece in a wider attacking reset that could yet involve Cody Gakpo walking out of Anfield.
PSG braced for Barcola exit
Inside PSG, the mood is shifting towards acceptance. The French champions are now preparing for life without Barcola, according to Ben Jacobs.
The journalist reports that figures at the club “expect” the winger to leave before the window closes, with Liverpool the ones pushing to take advantage.
Jacobs posted on X that “PSG insiders expect Bradley Barcola to leave before the window shuts as talks with Liverpool continue. Tottenham are still pushing to sign Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo. Manchester City also interested in Gakpo but, as of Monday night, are yet to directly approach Liverpool.”
So Liverpool stand at a crossroads: push through a big-money move for Barcola while fending off interest in Gakpo, or allow one of their current forwards to depart and trigger an even more dramatic reshaping of their front line.
The clock is ticking. The conversations are direct. And Liverpool’s next move in the market will say everything about how bold they plan to be this season.
