Liverpool Targets Bradley Barcola as Salah Successor
Liverpool are preparing to test Paris Saint-Germain’s resolve with an opening bid for Bradley Barcola, with the French winger emerging as the club’s preferred heir to Mohamed Salah, according to The Athletic.
At 23, Barcola has quickly climbed to the top of Liverpool’s attacking shortlist. Those inside Anfield are said to view him as the priority target in this window, the player they want to build the next phase of their forward line around after Salah’s departure at the end of last season.
The interest is mutual. Barcola is understood to be keen on the move, attracted by the prospect of a leading role in a Premier League giant rather than remaining one of many stars in Paris.
PSG, though, are in no mood to make it easy.
The French champions are reported to value Barcola at close to €170m, a figure Liverpool have no intention of matching. That stance sets up a tense negotiation: one of Europe’s most aggressive recruiters on one side, one of its most stubborn sellers on the other.
Liverpool, for their part, believe there is a deal to be done at around €120m. The key lever is Barcola’s contract situation. He is tied to PSG until 2028, but is said to be reluctant to extend, and Liverpool hope to exploit that hesitation to drag the price down to what they consider a justifiable fee for a long-term attacking cornerstone.
The numbers from last season explain why they are pushing so hard. Barcola made 49 appearances across competitions for Les Rouge et Bleu in 2025-26, scoring 13 goals and adding seven assists. In a squad stacked with attacking options, he still carved out significant minutes and influence.
Now he wants more. Not just a place in a rotation, but a central role in a top European side.
Liverpool, in transition after losing one of the greatest forwards in their modern history, need exactly that kind of ambition. The question is simple, and expensive: how much is the next chapter of their attack worth to them – and how long can PSG hold their nerve?
