Liverpool's Pursuit of Bradley Barcola Intensifies with Verbal Agreement

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

The Premier League side have zeroed in on Barcola after missing out on Yan Diomande, who has joined Real Madrid, as they scramble to fill the enormous void left by Mohamed Salah. The recruitment drive has already brought Ronald Araujo, Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet through the door this summer, yet the squad still feels light in one crucial area: the wings.

That shortage is shaping their entire window. Liverpool are exploring the possibility of bringing in as many as two more wide forwards, with Cody Gakpo’s future uncertain amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur. Barcola, though, sits at the top of the list.

The 21-year-old has made it clear he does not intend to extend his PSG deal beyond 2028. The reason, according to multiple reports: he wants Liverpool. Romano has repeatedly stressed that personal terms have never been a stumbling block and, in his latest YouTube update, he went a step further, revealing a verbal agreement between player and club and insisting Barcola “wants to go” to Anfield, with Liverpool now “ready to go strong” in talks with PSG.

PSG’s price and Liverpool’s dilemma

Liverpool’s main obstacle is not the player’s will, but PSG’s valuation. The French champions are driving a hard bargain. Initial figures of around £145m for Barcola alone already sounded steep, yet Romano reported on Thursday that PSG were seeking a “crazy” package of roughly 200 million euros for a double deal involving Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.

That number forced Liverpool to cool their interest in Mbaye. Barcola, however, remains very much on the table.

Romano maintains that the Merseyside club are prepared to push on with negotiations for the winger, confident on the player side and focused now on trying to bend PSG’s demands into something resembling a realistic fee.

Journalist Nicolo Schira has gone even further. He claims Liverpool are “getting closer” to an agreement with PSG at 125 million euros (around £106m), stating on X that the proposed contract would run until 2032. Given PSG’s earlier stance, that figure looks optimistic and should be treated with caution. A club that opened the bidding at £145m rarely backs down without a fight.

Yet the door is not shut.

Al-Khelaifi keeps options open

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has not publicly closed the chapter on a possible Barcola sale. His message was measured, but telling.

“We’re working calmly,” he said. “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.”

No promise that Barcola stays. No insistence that he is untouchable. Just a reminder of PSG’s power and priorities.

For Liverpool, that nuance matters. They have a player who wants the move, a verbal understanding on personal terms, and a glaring tactical need on the right flank. PSG have time, money and a valuation that currently sits beyond what many would consider reasonable.

Something has to give.

If Liverpool decide Barcola is the man to usher in their post-Salah era, the next bid will not just test PSG’s resolve – it will reveal how far the Anfield hierarchy are willing to go to reshape this team in one brutal, expensive summer.