Liverpool Finalizes Agreement for Winger Bradley Barcola from PSG
Liverpool has reportedly reached an agreement in principle to acquire winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. After a lengthy wait of nearly nine months, this development comes amid Liverpool’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its position in the transfer market following the departure of Mohamed Salah.
The situation intensified back in December, when Liverpool faced challenges related to Salah’s comments about being “thrown under the bus” by the club, which hinted at dissatisfaction and broken promises. The temporary reconciliation did not lead to a swift resolution, leaving the club with ample time to identify a suitable replacement for Salah.
Despite the positive news surrounding Barcola, who has not yet completed his medical examination, concerns linger. Primarily a left winger, Barcola will carry a hefty initial price of just over £100 million, potentially increasing to £120 million. This makes him Liverpool’s marquee signing for the flanks, although the team has already brought in Victor Munoz, a more budget-friendly addition who made his debut in Salah’s previous position.
The club has also appointed a new manager, Andoni Iraola, whose game strategy emphasizes the inclusion of wingers. Iraola expressed patience regarding the negotiations for Barcola, stating, “I definitely would have preferred to have the wingers ready on the first day. But I understand that it’s not easy in the market.” He emphasized the importance of finding the right players and making the most of the time spent waiting for quality signings.
Initially, Liverpool aimed to secure Yan Diomande, putting forth an offer of up to £86 million. However, he ultimately transferred to Real Madrid for £115 million, highlighting the escalating market rates for wingers. The historical figure of £36.5 million for Salah now appears as a bargain against the backdrop of soaring prices.
To ensure they secure the right talent, Liverpool has been meticulously managing its budget for wingers, exploring options such as Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and showing interest in Ismaila Sarr from Crystal Palace, both of whom may align more with their specific requirements for right-wing roles.
Iraola outlined the essential attributes sought in wingers, emphasizing speed, a capacity to take on defenders, and defensive diligence. In his quest for a replacement who can deliver statistical success, he noted Barcola’s impressive performances, including 11 goals last season in Ligue 1 and significant contributions during the recent World Cup, where he netted three goals.
There have been discussions about other potential transfer targets, reflecting Liverpool’s ongoing strategic planning. Barcola, a player they have monitored for years, previously demonstrated his capabilities against them in a friendly match in Dubai.
As Liverpool navigates the complexities of the transfer market, they remain hopeful that Barcola will emerge as a key player, capable of meeting the high standards set by past wingers such as Sadio Mane and Salah. Iraola remains determined, stating, “It is difficult to find someone who can tick all the boxes, but it is what we are trying to do.” The club anticipates Barcola could be their new asset in the challenging endeavor of filling Salah’s shoes.
They were separated by 264 days. December brought the outburst that ought to have accelerated Liverpool‘s search for a winger. Almost nine months later came the news they had reached an agreement in principle to buy Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.
Perhaps replacing Mohamed Salah was always going to be hard. Liverpool’s summer in the transfer market has certainly made it look so; the advance warning they had from the moment at Leeds when the Egyptian said he had been “thrown under the bus” and accused the club of breaking their promises to him should have given them a headstart. The subsequent rapprochement only had a temporary feel; it gave Liverpool months to find a successor.
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And perhaps they still have not, and not merely because Barcola has yet to complete a medical. He is more of a left winger. But at an initial cost of just over £100m, potentially rising to £120m, he will be the flagship recruit on the flanks. Liverpool have already recruited a winger this summer, the rather cheaper Victor Munoz, whose debut as a substitute at Newcastle came in Salah’s old spot on the right. They also appointed a manager whose gameplan requires wingers, in Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool have reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Bradley Barcola (Getty)
The Basque has had to be patient. He hopes Barcola will prove worth the wait. “I definitely would have preferred to have the wingers ready on the first day,” Iraola said. “The same for every position. But I understand that it’s not easy in the market and the wingers that we are trying to sign, they are of a high level. They are wanted by a lot of clubs, and I think it’s very difficult also for the club to close those situations. But as long as we arrive at the right place at the end and we sign the right players, I think it would be worth it even if they haven’t been with us in pre-season.”
Liverpool could not close the situation, to use Iraola’s phrase, with Yan Diomande, who seemed to be their first choice. They submitted an offer worth up to £86m. The Ivorian instead left RB Leipzig for Real Madrid for £115m.
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That was an indication of the inflation in prices on the wings; Salah came for just £36.5m, a sum that soon seemed a bargain. Yet the £100m winger is a far more recent development and Chelsea’s decision to pay £117m for Morgan Rogers may not have helped Liverpool’s cause. PSG had quoted them £145m for Barcola, leading to an impasse before they made a breakthrough in negotiations.
Liverpool have been saving their budget for wingers. The challenge was to find the right one. They have also submitted two bids for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and shown an interest in Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr, both of whom, unlike Barcola, tend to play on the right.
Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign primary transfer target Bradley Barcola (PA Wire)
Andoni Iraola is pushing for more wingers (Getty)
Common denominators between the various targets would seem to include pace and an ability to run at defenders. Iraola outlined his requirements. He explained: “We need wingers who can make the difference, who can be the man who can make the difference in isolation, who can attack the spaces, who can also do the defensive work that we are going to demand from them in terms of pressing or sometimes following the full-backs. And also if they can provide numbers then it’s perfect.”
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Maybe no one could match Salah’s numbers, given that he scored 257 goals for Liverpool, but they need someone to chalk up some sizeable figures. Barcola got 11 in Ligue 1 last season, at an average of one every 159 minutes. In all competitions in Paris Saint-Germain’s marathon season of 2024-25, he recorded 21 goals and a further 21 assists. He finished the recent World Cup with three goals.
Ismaila Sarr is still of interest to Liverpool beyond their pursuit of Bradley Barcola (PA)
The model may be a winger Liverpool liked, but did not bid for in January when he moved to Manchester City. Then Antoine Semenyo’s £62.5m cost seemed a lot, but he had scored two goals against them at Anfield last August. He got 11 goals and five assists in the Premier League in 2024-25, 10 goals and a further three assists in the first half of last season. They were for a Bournemouth team managed by Iraola.
That Semenyo has largely operated on the right for City may make Iraola wish Liverpool had been the January buyers. Barcola has, however, been on his new club’s radar for years; he impressed against Liverpool in Dubai in a friendly with Lyon during the 2022 World Cup.
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He was displaced from the PSG front three by Desire Doue, but Liverpool can look back a decade, to the arrivals of Sadio Mane and Salah, to find wingers who reached a different level at Anfield. They left a legacy, but also the question of who can live up to the standards they set. Or, indeed, do everything Iraola wants. “It is difficult to find someone who can tick all the boxes, but it is what we are trying to do,” he said. And he must hope Barcola can be Liverpool’s new box ticker.
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