Liverpool's Pursuit of Bradley Barcola Heats Up

Liverpool’s pursuit of Bradley Barcola is still very much alive, with senior figures at Paris Saint-Germain and Anfield locked in direct talks over a deal that could reshape Arne Slot’s forward line before the window closes.

Liverpool push hard after Salah exit

Mohamed Salah has gone. The club icon is now at Trabzonspor, and Liverpool’s response has been clear: rebuild the wings, fast.

Victor Munoz has already arrived from Osasuna to bolster the options, but Liverpool want more than cover. They want starters. Two, ideally.

On the left, Bradley Barcola has emerged as the priority. On the right, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh is the main target, with two bids already lodged as Liverpool search for a new right-sided threat.

The strategy is obvious: fresh pace and one‑v‑one quality on both flanks to replace the Salah era and prepare for life without guaranteed goals from the right.

Romano: “Deal is alive” and nowhere near €170m

Talk of a €170m fee for Barcola has been circulating, but Fabrizio Romano has moved quickly to cool that speculation and underline where the negotiation really stands.

“On Bradley Barcola, guys, I told you since the beginning, it is not going to be €170m,” Romano 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 are high, but not absurd. And crucially, the dialogue is constant.

“This is why Liverpool and PSG are having a direct exchange day by day,” Romano explained. “The conversation is continuing behind the scenes. I told you 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 bid-by-bid theatre. Just straight lines from boardroom to boardroom.

“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 matters. Liverpool’s attacking rebuild is not just about Barcola. It is tied to the future of Cody Gakpo.

Gakpo interest complicates the picture

While Liverpool chase Barcola and push for Minteh, their own squad is attracting heavy interest.

Cody Gakpo is on the radar of both Tottenham and Manchester City. If he moves, Liverpool intend to replace him immediately. Barcola is one part of that plan; another winger would follow if Gakpo’s exit becomes reality.

So the club are juggling two fronts: incoming wide players and the possibility of losing a key attacker to a Premier League rival.

PSG insiders “expect” Barcola to leave

Inside PSG, the mood points in one direction. According to journalist Ben Jacobs, there is a growing belief at the French champions that Barcola will be on the move before the deadline – and that Liverpool are in position to take him.

Jacobs reported on X that “PSG insiders expect Bradley Barcola to leave before the window shuts as talks with Liverpool continue.”

At the same time, he underlined the pressure building around Gakpo: “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 delicate crossroads: fighting to close a major deal with PSG while bracing for bids from two domestic rivals for one of their own.

The clock is ticking. The wings at Anfield are being rewritten in real time.