Liverpool reach decision on paying record fee for Bradley Barcola with deal not off
Liverpool chiefs reportedly do not intend to pay a club-record fee to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola this summer.
After missing out on Yan Diomande, Liverpool have turned their attention to signing Barcola to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah.
Barcola is regarded as one of the world’s best wingers, but he was only a bit-part player for PSG last season and is keen on an exit.
The Frenchman has reportedly indicated to PSG that he does not want to extend his contract beyond 2028, while he wants to join Liverpool.
However, a deal is proving difficult because PSG are reportedly holding out for around £145m for Barcola, while it has been reported that the Reds are unwilling to pay that much.
On Wednesday morning, a report from The Standard claimed Liverpool are now ‘ready’ to walk away from the deal for Barcola because there has been little movement towards an agreement in recent days.
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The report explains:
‘With talks approaching a stalemate and deadline day now just three weeks away, the Reds are reportedly prepared to walk away from talks and turn their attention to other targets in a bid to bolster Andoni Iraola’s threadbare squad.
‘Among their alternative targets is 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye, Barcola’s PSG team-mate.’
Now, our colleagues at TEAMtalk are also reporting the ‘full truths’ on Barcola to Liverpool, with a ‘deal not off’ even though there has been ‘little progress’ in recent days.
Unsurprisingly, it is noted that the main issue for Liverpool is negotiating a price with PSG, with the Reds only ‘prepared to pay’ £120m and not a record fee after they signed Alexander Isak for around £125m last summer.
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The report claims:
‘Liverpool would, in theory, have the financial capacity to break their own British transfer record again after setting it when they signed Alexander Isak for £125m last summer. However, TEAMtalk understands their valuation of Barcola is significantly below PSG’s £145million asking price.
‘Liverpool believe a deal worth up to around £120million represents the level at which they would be prepared to do business, leaving a sizeable gap between the two clubs. For now, PSG are showing no inclination to reduce their demands. The deal is NOT off, though it is true to say there’s been no progress in club-to-club discussions so far.’
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