Liverpool Nears £120 Million Deal for Barcola as Iraola Seeks First Win

Liverpool step back into Premier League business this weekend with the sense that something is building behind the scenes as well as on the pitch.

Nottingham Forest visit Anfield for the Reds’ first home game of the season, with Andoni Iraola still searching for his first league victory in charge after a stuttering 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. The performance left questions hanging over his new-look side – but help looks to be on the way from Paris.

Barcola deal nears completion

Liverpool have agreed a £120 million deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, a fee that would make the winger the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history once the final details are tied up. Only Alexander Isak’s £125m move tops that figure.

For now, Barcola remains a PSG player on paper, but the French champions have already started to act as if his future lies elsewhere.

The 21-year-old has not played a single minute this season. He was named only among the substitutes for PSG’s UEFA Super Cup win over Aston Villa, then left out entirely for their Ligue 1 fixtures against Lens and Rennes. On Friday night, as the French champions faced Lille, he was again missing from the matchday squad, with his Liverpool switch edging closer.

It is a striking stance for a player who helped drive PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles. Last season he delivered 13 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances across all competitions, often providing the cutting edge from wide areas despite fierce competition for minutes from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.

PSG have made their position clear. Barcola’s next steps look set to unfold on Merseyside, where Iraola is preparing to add a high-priced, high-impact forward to his attacking options.

Iraola’s “power football” and Wirtz at No. 10

While the Barcola saga gathers pace, one of Liverpool’s current stars has been quietly redefining his place in the team.

Florian Wirtz endured a stop-start debut campaign in England under Arne Slot, shuttling between roles as an attacking midfielder and a left-sided option without ever fully nailing down a permanent spot. Iraola has wasted little time changing that.

During pre-season, the Spaniard made it clear he views Wirtz as his No. 10 – the creative hub around which his aggressive style will revolve.

Speaking to Sky Germany, the 23-year-old outlined exactly what his new manager demands. Wirtz described Iraola’s idea as “power football going forward” built on “lots of pressing”, stressing that each player’s tasks are “relatively clear”.

The clarity, he suggested, is now about collective execution. It is not just that individuals know their jobs; the challenge is to make those roles “harmonize together” so the team functions as a single, relentless unit.

Wirtz spoke positively of Iraola’s early impact, saying the coach “makes a very good impression” and “reaches a lot of players” with his message. Crucially, he believes the squad understands what is being asked of them and, just as importantly, believes in it.

For Liverpool, that belief now meets expectation. A new manager, a defined playmaker at No. 10, and a £120m winger likely on his way. Forest arrive at Anfield to face a side still hunting its first win – but one that suddenly looks armed for a very different kind of season.