Bradley Barcola remains a top transfer priority for Liverpool this summer, but the clock is ticking on getting a big-money deal for the PSG forward over the line
Bradley Barcola of PSG.
Bradley Barcola of PSG.(Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
The transfer saga involving Bradley Barcola has not had the ups and downs that Liverpool's move for Alexander Isak did a year ago, but it is certainly dragging on.
So far, there has been no breakthrough in negotiations between the Reds and PSG, with Andoni Iraola needing to remain patient. His forward line is still lacking pace, depth and quality.
But is Barcola the right player to target, even at a very high fee? As of yet, PSG has not relented on its demand of $193 million (£145 million), which feels excessive. Some of our Liverpool.com writers have had their say.
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Matt Addison
At this point, with Liverpool still in for Barcola, it does feel like a move that will happen eventually. PSG moving for another couple of forwards (Ferran Torres and Mika Godts) could be a major hint too.
Barcola, it was put to me this week, is a left winger, and therefore surely there is someone else who would be a better fit? Not really, though. There just isn't. Yan Diomande was a target, but he has chosen Real Madrid.
Beyond Diomande, there isn't much out there. Barcola is comfortably the best option realistically attainable on the market in wide forward areas this summer, so it makes sense to go for him. He's open to the move as well.
Ibrahim Mbaye, his PSG teammate, is also understood to be under consideration at Liverpool. That, though, would be alongside Barcola rather than in place of him.
Even for well over $100M, Barcola can prove good value. He's quick, he's direct, and he has an eye for goal. Just because he doesn't play over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, that doesn't mean he's not world-class.
Daniel Blackham
If Andoni Iraola is to make a success of his first year as Liverpool head coach, he'll need to take an aggressive and attack-minded approach from the first game. He'll also need to be supported in the transfer market, which he hasn't really been until now.
Last summer's spending spree gave Arne Slot a superteam at his disposal, but it's hard to argue the big-money signings have been a success — perhaps aside from Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool has a number of areas it needs to strengthen, namely central midfield and right-back, but another winger should also be a necessity. The loss of Mohamed Salah has made things even more difficult for Liverpool, and Iraola will need players with versatility to play across the front three.
Pulling the trigger on a big-money bid for Barcola acts as much of a signal of intent as anything, a sign to Liverpool's rivals that it can keep spending and attracting big players as much as it needs to. The only drawback to Barcola is that he doesn't play on the right, but that's what coaches are for. If he needs to play on the right, he'll be coached to do so.
Signing Barcola is a warning shot across the Premier League as much as anything, and Liverpool desperately needs to do just that.
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #29 Bradley Barcola takes part in a training session on August 11, 2026, the eve of the UEFA Supercup football match between Champions League winners Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Europa League winners Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)
Liverpool remains in pursuit of Bradley Barcola(Image: Getty Images)
David Schneidman
Barcola will bring Liverpool some much-needed firepower in the forward lines after losing Mohamed Salah and never properly replacing Luis Diaz the summer prior.
There is a question over how he fits in Andoni Iraola’s squad in relation to Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha, given all three prefer to play off the left, although Barcola has shown his ability to come off the right as well.
I expect Barcola to excel when Liverpool plays the free-flowing, back-to-front style Iraola wants. His ability to influence games when the Reds need to break down a low block or nick a set-piece goal is up for debate.
I believe he will struggle at first with the physical demands of the Premier League, similar to Florian Wirtz last season, before eventually reaching the standard towards the back half of the campaign.
In the long run, I believe he can be an excellent player and a week-in, week-out starter for Liverpool.
Charlie Wilson
Liverpool absolutely needs to sign a world-class winger, but signing him for the price tag he is being valued at brings up a number of concerns. Firstly, Liverpool needs a right-sided winger. Barcola is a left-winger.
Signing him to play out of position just does not make sense. The club already has Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz off the left. While it clearly feels Ngumoha can play from the right, he's looked incredibly exciting off the left — suiting the role as an inverted forward as Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane had.
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The price has to concern Liverpool fans, too. It feels like they are overpaying here. Barcola has a high ceiling, but he still has a ways to go to justify the $150m+ which PSG are looking for here. He has never had a 20-goal season and has shown to be wasteful in the final third.
The club has let Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold walk for, essentially, nothing. Fans might feel better about spending $150m on a player who has not yet proven to be 'world class' — when they arguably let two of them walk out of the door for free.
Even if Liverpool signs Barcola, many fans will feel the club still needs a right-sided winger. The likes of Yankuba Minteh, Rayan, and Ibrahim Mbaye could be signed for significantly less and could provide similar output.