Fabrizio Romano has relayed the latest he’s hearing on Bradley Barcola to Liverpool, while the most respected source on everything to do with the Reds has weighed in with a major update too.
It’s full steam ahead for Liverpool and their attempts to make Bradley Barcola the biggest signing of the summer. The PSG and France winger, 23, is the player Liverpool have earmarked as their de facto replacement for Mohamed Salah on the flanks.
While Barcola is a left winger by trade, in terms of calibre of player at least, he’s the Reds’ chosen one out wide.
No agreement on personal terms is in place just yet, though Liverpool will face zero issues forging one when the time is right.
Barcola has signalled his intention to sign for Andoni Iraola’s side, meaning the only obstacle – albeit a rather large one – is the transfer fee.
PSG have set their stall out at a mammoth €170m / £145m. There have been reports over the past 24 hours of Liverpool being prepared to break the British transfer record (£125m – Alexander Isak) for Barcola, with some claiming their opening bid will be worth €150m / £128.5m.
On Wednesday evening, both Fabrizio Romano and Paul Joyce from The Times provided timely updates on this developing situation.
Romano, Joyce on Barcola to Liverpool latest
Taking to YouTube, Romano stated: “Agreement done on personal terms? Not yet, it will get done, for sure, because it’s not a problem.
“Barcola wants to go to Liverpool, but we have to go step by step, and they are still discussing, but it won’t be a problem.”
On the subject of club-to-club talks, the transfer guru confirmed they have opened between Liverpool and PSG.
Liverpool are indeed ready to submit their opening offer, per the reporter, though it won’t happen today (Wednesday).
Regarding the transfer fee, Romano stressed Liverpool have no intention of meeting PSG’s €170m / £145m asking price.
Paul Joyce – widely regarded as the most reputable source on Liverpool stories – then gave his take in an article co-authored with Ian Whittell.
Like Romano, he confirmed Liverpool will not pay £145m to seal this deal. Instead, they hope to strike a deal that contains guaranteed payments of around £100m, with the rest made up through add-ons.
He explained: ‘Liverpool are making contact with Paris Saint-Germain as they look to strike a compromise and agree a £100million deal for the forward Bradley Barcola.
‘The Champions League winners have publicly placed a valuation of about £145million on the 23-year-old, a figure the Premier League club have no intention of paying, despite their long-standing admiration of him.
‘But indications are that Barcola, who is seen as a replacement for Mohamed Salah, would be open to a move to Anfield and Liverpool hope to strike a deal for a base figure of about £100million, with the potential for add-ons.
‘That was the kind of deal Liverpool constructed last summer for Florian Wirtz, who moved from Bayer Leverkusen for approximately £100million, with £16million in bonuses to come.’
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Liverpool reporter, DaveOCKop, recently claimed to have knowledge on the sums involved in Liverpool’s upcoming first bid.
Per his information, the offer will be worth €110m / £94.25m plus €40m / £34.25m in add-ons, bringing the total value of the bid to €150m / £128.5m.
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