Liverpool's Summer Target: Bradley Barcola and Brahim Diaz

Liverpool are working through a summer without Mohamed Salah, and the brief from Fenway Sports Group is blunt: find a new right‑sided spearhead worthy of Anfield. One name sits at the top of their list. Another, in Madrid white, is waiting in the wings.

Barcola the priority – at a huge price

Bradley Barcola has emerged as Liverpool’s preferred solution on the right. The Paris Saint‑Germain winger, fresh from starring for France at the 2026 World Cup, has told PSG he will not sign a new contract, a stance that has sharpened interest across Europe and placed Liverpool right at the front of the queue.

TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey has described Barcola as Liverpool’s “top target” for the summer window, stressing there is “no doubt” inside the club about that status. Liverpool, who had previously focused more work on Yan Diomande than any other player, have now switched their gaze firmly to the PSG forward.

Crucially, Barcola’s camp have indicated he would be open to a move to Anfield. Liverpool also have a clear understanding of PSG’s position: the French champions are said to value him at around £145million. It is an elite‑talent price in what Bailey calls “a seller’s market” for one of Europe’s most coveted young forwards.

Barcola has recently reiterated to PSG that he has no intention of extending his deal, a stance that could eventually push the club towards a decision. Liverpool are preparing their move with a clear financial line in mind. They want to land him for significantly less than PSG’s asking price and, if they can, for a fee below the British‑record £125m they previously paid for Alexander Isak.

Whether that kind of offer tempts PSG is uncertain. Arsenal remain firmly interested, adding another layer of pressure to Liverpool’s pursuit and ensuring any negotiation will be played out against strong Premier League competition.

Diaz on standby as Liverpool hedge their bets

Liverpool are not gambling everything on Barcola. The recruitment team, reshaped for the post‑Salah era, have drawn up alternatives, and one of the most intriguing sits at Real Madrid: Brahim Diaz.

The former Manchester City winger, now a Morocco international, is under contract at the Bernabeu until 2027. He is naturally comfortable on the right flank, but his versatility allows him to drift inside as an attacking midfielder or switch to the left when required. For a club that values fluidity across the front line, that profile fits.

His problem is simple: opportunity. Under Jose Mourinho, and with Madrid closing in on a deal for Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, Diaz faces a fight for minutes. Diomande is being brought in to operate on the right, with Kylian Mbappe expected to lead the line through the middle and Vinicius Junior locked in on the left.

That attacking hierarchy leaves players like Diaz exposed to offers. TEAMtalk reported at the weekend that Liverpool have also made contact with the camp of Vinicius Junior, who, like Diaz, is out of contract next summer. While Vinicius would represent a seismic coup, Diaz is the more realistic option for the right flank in the current window.

Bailey says Liverpool have Diaz firmly among their options for that position. The club have previously explored the situations of Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler and Endrick, and, according to sources cited by Bailey, all three could see their futures revisited if Madrid receive suitable bids in the wake of Diomande’s arrival.

Liverpool have already moved to sign Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but that has not altered the core objective: replacing Salah’s output and presence on the right with a long‑term, top‑level solution.

Barcola is the statement move. Diaz is the shrewd one. Somewhere between PSG’s valuation and Madrid’s squad reshuffle, Liverpool’s next great right‑winger is waiting to be chosen.