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Bayern Munich confirm transfer interest in Liverpool and Barcelona signings

File photo dated 25-11-2025 of Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany during a press conference at the Emirates Stadium. Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany knows his side will again be expected to mount another serious Champions League challenge as they prepare to open the new European campaign against Bodo/Glimt. Issue date: Wednesday September 9, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read John Walton/PA Wire.

Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl has confirmed that the club explored a move for Liverpool new boy Bradley Barcola but were ultimately priced out of a summer deal.

Mohamed Salah brought his glittering nine-year spell on Merseyside to an end last season and determined to fill the void left by the Egyptian’s departure, Liverpool’s hierarchy drew up a shortlist of potential attacking reinforcements.

Barcola – a two-time Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain – emerged as the Reds’ primary target before too long and the player himself made it clear he was keen to push through a switch to Anfield.

The likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich were also tentatively linked with Barcola but Liverpool remained at the front of the queue as the transfer deadline came into view, before wrapping up a £123million agreement for the France international.

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Barcola went on to make his Liverpool debut in the side’s 2-0 victory away to Ipswich last Friday, coming off the bench for fellow summer signing Victor Munoz with half-an-hour remaining at Portman Road.

And on Wednesday night, the 24-year-old started for the first time as Andoni Iraola’s men kicked off their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 2-1 win at home to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.

Barcola showed flashes of his undoubted quality in front of the Anfield faithful before being forced off with cramp ten minutes after Alexis Mac Allister’s decisive second-half strike.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 9: Bradley Barcola of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 9, 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 9: Bradley Barcola of Liverpool running during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 9, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

If Eberl had his way, though, Barcola would be pulling on Bayern’s colours this season, with the 52-year-old director revealing to Sport Bild: ‘To be honest, I already know Bradley from my time at Leipzig. I wanted to bring him to Leipzig.

‘We sat down together and discussed it back then. That’s how I developed a closer relationship with Bradley.

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‘So there was always interest there. Of course, we also looked into him at Bayern.’

DFB / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ralf Treese/DeFodi Images/Shutterstock (17136181f) Sport-Vorstand Max Eberl (FC Bayern Muenchen) laughs during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and FC Bayern M?nchen at Veltins-Arena on September 5, 2026 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. FC Schalke 04 v FC Bayern M?nchen - Bundesliga 2026/27 - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - 05 Sep 2026

Liverpool’s eye-watering £123m deal for Barcola saw the Frenchman become the second-most expensive player in the club’s history behind record signing Alexander Isak.

‘When you hear about sums like that, it was too much for us,’ Eberl added.

‘With Luis Diaz, we made a decision that was also costly, but on a different scale than Bradley.’

BARCELONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 09: Anthony Gordon of FC Barcelona looks on from the bench before the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between FC Barcelona and Feyenoord at Camp Nou on September 09, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

In addition to Barcola, the Bundesliga champions also mulled over a move for Anthony Gordon before the Englishman left Newcastle to join Barcelona in a £69m deal.

[BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Mikel Arteta, Manager / Head Coach of Arsenal speaks with Assistant Referee, Neil Davies during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 31, 2026 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Mikel Arteta, Manager / Head Coach of Arsenal speaks with Assistant Referee, Neil Davies during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 31, 2026 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)](https://metro.co.uk/2026/09/09/premier-league-admits-arsenal-var-error-aston-villa-29569014/)

‘It’s no secret that we were interested in Anthony Gordon for the left wing,’ Eberl went on.

‘We decided we were not doing that because he was simply too expensive.’

Bayern made three additions to Vincent Kompany’s first-team squad this summer, with Ismael Saibari, Nathaniel Brown and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye signing on the dotted line.

Joao Palhinha, Noel Aseko, Daniel Peretz, Alexander Nubel, Jonah Kusi-Asare, Maurice Krattenmacher and Lovro Zvornarek all brought their spells at the Allianz Arena to an end.

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