Liverpool's Chase for Barcola Stalled by £145m PSG Stand-off

Liverpool have hit pause on their pursuit of Bradley Barcola, with talks over a deal for the Paris Saint-Germain forward stuck on a steep asking price, according to L'Équipe.

The 23-year-old France international has been marked out by the Anfield hierarchy as a priority signing to refresh Jürgen Klopp’s attack, but negotiations with the Ligue 1 champions have stalled. PSG are holding firm at a fee in the region of £145m, a figure Liverpool are refusing to go near.

That stand-off has frozen progress. Liverpool’s interest is not in doubt; their willingness to meet PSG’s valuation very much is.

Barcola, formerly of Lyon, is not pushing to stay put. He is unwilling to sign a new contract at the Parc des Princes and would be open to a move to Merseyside, a stance that keeps the door wide open for Liverpool if the numbers change.

Liverpool ready to play the waiting game

For now, the strategy is patience. With Les Parisiens closing in on the arrivals of Ferran Torres, 25, and Mika Godts, 21, to reinforce their own front line, Liverpool have opted to bide their time.

The plan is to move late. The Premier League club intend to return to the table in the final 10 days of the transfer window, gambling that PSG’s position will soften once their incoming business is wrapped up and the clock begins to tick.

If the Champions League winners decide they cannot carry both a packed forward line and a wantaway Barcola on such terms, Liverpool will be waiting to test just how negotiable that £145m price tag really is.