Liverpool transfer latest including updates on Ismaila Sarr, Cody Gakpo, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic ahead of Tuesday's deadline
Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace celebrates after scoring goal during a UEFA Europa Conference League match
Liverpool have been linked with Crystal Palace attacker Ismaila Sarr(Image: Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
Liverpool has a huge couple of days ahead as the summer transfer window enters its final stages and the September 1 deadline draws closer.
It's been a pretty quiet summer so far for the Reds, with just a handful of additions across the pitch, despite the significant number of players who have departed since the end of last season. Liverpool agreed a deal to sign Jeremy Jacquet back in January, while the loan signing of Barcelona's Ronald Araujo represents the only other defensive addition.
In attacking areas, following Mohamed Salah's exit, only Victor Munoz has been brought through the door to date. His relatively low release clause at Osasuna was triggered back in June.
Otherwise, Liverpool may be about to land its marquee signing of the summer as widespread reports indicate Bradley Barcola is on the verge of joining the club. It has been suggested that the winger will undergo his medical on Sunday, with the Reds rumored to have agreed a fee with Paris Saint-Germain in the region of £106 million ($143 million) up front, potentially rising to £123 million ($166 million) with add-ons.
Regardless of whether that deal is concluded or not, there are still plenty of big decisions to be made by the club's hierarchy. Here, Liverpool.com takes a look at some of the biggest headlines and rumors...
Possible Ismaila Sarr hint
Despite the Barcola pursuit, Liverpool continues to be linked with other attacking options. Brighton's Yankuba Minteh has been one, while Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr has emerged as a target in recent days. According to a report from The Times, Sarr would represent the cheaper option of the two, with the Reds already having had two bids rejected for Minteh by Brighton.
Ismaila Sarr of Senegal looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026
Liverpool has shifted their focus to Sarr after having two bids for Yankuba Minteh rejected(Image: Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The article then goes on to suggest Palace could be prepared to sell the Senegal international, although, like Minteh, he is also sidelined with an injury. While his problem may not be as significant, Sarr did miss Palace's defeat to Manchester City on Friday with a groin injury.
Liverpool.com says: At this stage of the window, both Sarr and Minteh represent huge risks. The latter is, of course, out of action for an extended period. Sarr, meanwhile, is an older age profile, and Liverpool may be better off learning its lesson from last summer. The club got burned on deadline day when Palace pulled the plug at the last minute on Marc Guehi's move to Anfield, owing to the fact that it struggled to sign a replacement. Liverpool cannot, under any circumstances, allow itself to be put in the same position again.
Three expected departures
One of the key reasons Liverpool cannot afford to miss out on Sarr, or anyone else for that matter, is that it appears Man City is pushing ahead to sign Cody Gakpo. The Dutchman appears to be heading for the exit before the deadline, with widespread reports on Saturday evening claiming the player has made the decision to join City and negotiations between the clubs are underway.
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC
Cody Gakpo continues to be linked with an exit from Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images))
Also, in the next couple of days, Harvey Elliott may get his move. The 23-year-old returned to Liverpool at the start of preseason after a disappointing loan spell at Aston Villa.
According to a report from Fabrizio Romano in recent days, Elliott has agreed on personal terms with La Liga side Valencia. Napoli and Lazio are rumored to have held an interest, but the player has chosen Spain as his next destination.
Finally, midfielder Stefan Bajcetic is also expected to depart before the deadline. Romano's latest update on the player is that he has agreed personal terms with Celta Vigo and is set to return to his homeland of Spain.
Liverpool.com says: Moves for Elliott and Bajcetic make sense at this stage, although both are in the final year of their contracts at the club, so unless a fee is agreed, the Reds are likely going to lose both for nothing. For Elliott, in particular, that could be regarded as bad business given they were set to bank £35 million ($47 million) from Villa had his move last year gone as planned. Sanctioning a sale this late in the window for Gakpo, however, is an absurd decision-making on every level.