The fee Liverpool paid for Bradley Barcola in the summer is said to have surprised those who watched the player in France
Bradley Barcola new signing of Liverpool at AXA Training Centre
Bradley Barcola was signed for a mammoth fee in the summer(Image: (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
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Emmanuel Petit says everyone in France knew that the money Liverpool paid for Bradley Barcola was far greater than his actual worth. Liverpool pursued the Paris Saint-Germain winger for much of the summer before finally getting a deal over the line towards the end of the transfer window.
While Barcola himself wanted to leave the European champions, PSG demanded an inflated sum, which the Reds eventually agreed to. The final agreed fee was £106million, potentially rising to £123m, for the France international.
Barcola has not been particularly impressive during his brief time at Anfield despite being among the top five most expensive players in English football history. He is yet to register a goal or an assist in six appearances across all competitions, though that is also a reflection of Liverpool’s wider struggles this season under new manager Andoni Iraola.
But French legend Petit, who won the World Cup and the Euros with his country, is not surprised that the 24-year-old has failed to meet expectations. The former Arsenal midfielder insists he would not have paid more than £60-70m for Barcola’s services, which is around half of his eventual price tag.
Petit said on talkSPORT: “£120million? I would never put that price tag on the table. We all know that in France.
“We know that he is a quality player, he could sometimes be great, but he doesn’t have consistency during games. He was good most of the time with Paris because of the whole team behind him.”
Bradley Barcola of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Fulham at Anfield on September 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Barcola has been called 'overrated'(Image: Getty )
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Barcola managed 13 goals and seven assists in a superb PSG side in all competitions last term. He was unable to establish himself as Luis Enrique's starting winger, however, mainly due to the high level of PSG's other attacking options.
When asked bluntly whether Liverpool overpaid for the wide man, Petit replied: “Oh yeah, definitely. I would probably have spent £60m or £70m, maximum. That’s my opinion.
“It’s becoming common now that English clubs are spending so much money on overrated players.”
Four of the Premier League’s five most expensive ever deals were completed in the summer. Manchester City’s signings of Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson account for two of those, while Barcola’s move and Morgan Rogers’s transfer to Chelsea were the others.
Over the past two summers, Liverpool have also spent more than £100m on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both of whom have failed to justify their lofty fees.