Liverpool are closing in on a deal worth up to £120m for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, with talks having accelerated over the past 48 hours.
The Reds are understood to be nearing a full agreement for the France international, with the overall package expected to include an initial £100m fee and a further £20m in performance-related add-ons.
PSG had valued Barcola at around £145m, but Liverpool appear to have made significant progress towards reaching a compromise for the 23-year-old.
Barcola’s versatility is one of the major attractions for Liverpool. Primarily a left winger, the right-footed forward can also operate from the opposite flank or through the middle, giving the Reds another option across the front line.
His potential arrival could, however, raise further questions over Cody Gakpo’s future at Anfield. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have reportedly shown interest in the Netherlands international.
Liverpool continue to reshape their attack
Liverpool’s pursuit of Barcola comes as Arne Slot looks to add greater attacking depth following the departures of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah over the past two summers.
The club are also looking for a right winger and have previously explored moves for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr.
Brighton have already rejected Liverpool bids of £50m and £60m for Minteh, underlining the difficulty of finding the right attacking reinforcement.
Barcola would nevertheless represent a significant addition.
Since joining PSG from Lyon in 2023, the forward has collected three Ligue 1 titles, two Champions League winners’ medals and two French Cups, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
He also scored three goals for France at this summer’s World Cup.
His ability to operate centrally could prove particularly useful for Liverpool given the injury to Hugo Ekitike, who is recovering from a serious Achilles problem. Barcola could therefore provide an alternative option behind Alexander Isak as well as strengthening the wide areas.
With negotiations now reportedly at an advanced stage, Liverpool appear increasingly confident of securing one of Europe’s most highly rated young attackers.
Read more – Mbappe Hat-Trick Sends Real Madrid Flying in Mourinho Return
Also see – Liverpool suffer fresh transfer setback as Crystal Palace reject £50m Ismaïla Sarr bid
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