Liverpool have wasted no time following the confirmation of Bradley Barcola’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.
The club completed the £123m deal for the French forward, ending the pursuit that had run for most of the summer.
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Barcola’s arrival gives Andoni Iraola a long-awaited body in the wide areas after a frustrating window.
With the transfer window closing on September 1, attention at Anfield has not slowed.
Another attacking signing remains a priority before the deadline, and the club’s recruitment staff have been working on multiple fronts throughout the closing days of the window.
That activity has not been confined to the first team.
Liverpool have spent 2026 building out their academy ranks with a string of young defensive additions, and the latest of those moves has now been made official by the player himself.
Dara Jikiemi has confirmed on Instagram that he has signed for Liverpool.
The 16-year-old centre-back posted a photo from Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre, captioned “New beginnings… @liverpoolfc.”
Jikiemi joins from Celtic, where he had been the Scottish club’s academy captain material without yet making his first-team debut and has signed a five-year contract.
The move follows months of pursuit. Jikiemi was first linked with Liverpool in December, but the two clubs could not agree terms at the time, leaving the deal to be resolved in the summer window.
According to reports, an initial scholarship agreement will convert into a professional contract once Jikiemi turns 17 in January 2027, in line with English football’s rules on underage signings.
Jikiemi captained both Scotland’s U15 and U16 sides and turned down a new contract offer from Celtic to make the move south. He is expected to join Simon Wiles’ U18 squad initially, before being assessed ahead of the new season.
The centre-back becomes Liverpool’s fourth academy defensive signing of 2026, following the additions of Mor Talla Ndiaye, Noah Adekoya and Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
The club also recently signed goalkeeper Noah Evans from Burnley on a scholarship deal.
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