Liverpool are searching for their next superstar forward after allowing Mohamed Salah to leave for Turkish side Trabzonspor this summer. They also need attacking reinforcements following Hugo Ekitike’s long-term Achilles injury.
Bradley Barcola has emerged as a potential target, with the 23-year-old reportedly struggling for regular minutes at PSG after falling behind Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele in the pecking order.
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Meanwhile, Liverpool look set to lose academy striker Vincent Joseph to Premier League rivals Arsenal, who have reached an agreement with the England youth international to join the club.
According to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones, Arsenal and Liverpool are heading to a tribunal after failing to agree compensation for the 16-year-old.
Joseph decided to leave Liverpool last month after declining the club’s offer of a scholarship, with the Gunners now closing in on a deal for the highly rated striker. The Professional Football Compensation Committee will now decide the fee after negotiations fail to produce an agreement.
The PFCC determines compensation for players under the age of 24 who move clubs before signing a professional contract or after such a deal expires.
When determining compensation, the PFCC considers several factors, including the player’s age, playing record, length of time at the club, the status of both clubs and the terms offered by each team.
Joseph has scored eight goals in nine appearances for England Under-16s and featured for Liverpool in the Under-18 Premier League. However, he did not sign scholarship terms with the Reds this summer after his schoolboy registration expired.
Joseph graduated from the Under-16s last season and scored on his Under-18s debut in a 4-3 defeat to Sunderland at the Academy of Light in March.
He followed that up with a brace in Liverpool’s next Under-18 Premier League North fixture against Nottingham Forest. Joseph leaves Liverpool after eight years with the club, having joined the academy in 2018.