Liverpool have been given a boost in their question to sign PSG's Bradley Barcola
Bradley Barcola
Negotiations over Bradley Barcola's future are approaching crunch time(Image: Getty Images)
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Liverpool could be two steps away from finally landing long-term target Bradley Barcola. The Reds have been quoted a whopping £145million by Paris Saint-Germain.
The Reds, quite rightly, have no intention of going that high for a player who, while immensely talented, isn't quite in the orbit of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and PSG team-mate Ousmane Dembele, although he has the potential to get there.
That kind of fee would be too rich for virtually any other club and the French champions will have to get real if they want to move him on, especially as they are close to signing two other wingers.
They have reportedly opened talks with Ajax about signing Mika Godts for around £51 million. The Champions League holders are already on the verge of signing Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco for about £43m.
Taking the steps to sign a pair of wide attackers is a clear sign that PSG are preparing for life without Barcola. Regardless of the Ligue 1 outfit's extreme wealth, the PSR books still need to be balanced. Big purchases often need to be accompanied by big sales.
AS Monaco forward Maghnes Akliouche represented France at the World Cup.
Maghnes Akliouche is set to join PSG(Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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If they are not careful, they risk having a very expensive asset hanging around who sees his future elsewhere. After this summer, with two years left on his contract, his value will only diminish.
Now is the time for PSG to cash in, but not for the current valuation. Even a fee of nearly £100m would ensure a massive profit on a player they signed for less than £40m from Lyon just three years ago.
As negotiations continue, Liverpool must hold their nerve and threaten to look elsewhere unless PSG come with a more realistic price. Whether they can afford the aforementioned fee is irrelevant.
Reds fans clearly agree. In an ECHO poll, 96 per cent of fans said Liverpool should go nowhere near PSG's current asking price. Some 33 per cent reckon £100m is the most that should be spent to bring him to Merseyside, with 21 per cent believing the club should not go past £80m.
The impending arrival of two wingers should help drive the fee down. The ball is firmly in PSG's court.
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