Liverpool have spoken to Jorge Mendes about signing Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye, along with his teammate Bradley Barcola, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said that Mbaye is keen on joining the Reds, but the combined cost of buying the teenager with Barcola will need to get below the €200m (£171m) to €210m (£180m) mark for a double deal to come off:
“Liverpool spoke to the agent of the player, Jorge Mendes; they had a conversation. The player is very attracted by Liverpool. So, Ibrahim Mbaye would love a move to Liverpool, but at the moment, the problem for Liverpool is the valuation.”
“So, PSG are asking for a lot of money for Ibrahim Mbaye, or his valuation comes down or they can find an agreement with Barcola and Mbaye – the numbers have to be different. But Liverpool are not going to pay €200m or €210m for Barcola and Mbaye.”
How much would Mbaye cost on his own?
If, as has been claimed by multiple sources, Barcola’s price tag is €170m (£145.5m), it would stand to reason that PSG are only requesting about €40m (£34m), which is a figure that was reported by the very reliable Fabrice Hawkins not that long ago.
What seems likely is that PSG have told Liverpool to pay €200m/€210m in one package, while the Reds would prefer to negotiate down the price by negotiating deals for the pair separately.
Sporting director Richard Hughes would probably be hoping to get Barcola and Mbaye for a combined £150m, although he will be mindful of both transfers being hijacked bu other teams.
Barcola has been linked with Arsenal, while Mbaye has attracted interest from Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.
The 2 Liverpool targets did not play at the weekend
What should raise hopes of a double transfer happening is the sight of Barcola and Mbaye sitting in the stands for the French Super Cup.
Neither forward was in the matchday squad as PSG suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Lens on Sunday evening.
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