Liverpool's Chase for Bradley Barcola Intensifies: Verbal Agreement Reached
Liverpool’s pursuit of Bradley Barcola has moved into a new gear, with Fabrizio Romano claiming the club now has a “verbal agreement” with the Paris Saint-Germain winger over a move to Anfield.
The Premier League side have turned hard towards Barcola after missing out on Yan Diomande, who has joined Real Madrid, as they scramble to find a successor to Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian’s departure has left a gaping hole on the right, and despite a busy summer, that space on the flank still looks painfully bare.
Ronald Araujo, Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet have all arrived, but the squad remains lopsided. The wide areas, in particular, look thin. That’s why Liverpool are not ruling out signing two wingers before the window closes, especially with Cody Gakpo attracting serious interest from Tottenham Hotspur and potentially heading for the exit.
Barcola's Obsession
In that context, Barcola has become the obsession. The 21-year-old is under contract at PSG until 2028, yet multiple reports say he does not want to extend and is pushing specifically for Liverpool. Romano has repeatedly stressed that personal terms are not an issue, and his latest update on YouTube goes a step further: there is now a “verbal agreement” between the player and the club.
Barcola, Romano says, “wants to go” to Liverpool. The club, in turn, are “ready to go strong” to get him out of Paris. As Romano puts it, a “deal is on” — at least from the player’s side — while Liverpool’s broader plan still involves adding two wingers before the deadline.
Price Concerns
The problem is not desire. It’s price.
PSG have set an eye-watering valuation. Initial reports suggested the French champions wanted as much as £145 million for Barcola. Romano has described their stance as a demand for a “crazy” proposal worth around €200m, bundled together for Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. That figure has already had consequences: Liverpool have effectively walked away from any move for Mbaye.
Barcola, though, remains firmly on the table. And there are signs, at least from elsewhere in the Italian media, that the gap might be narrowing.
Journalist Nicolo Schira has gone even stronger than Romano, claiming Liverpool are “getting closer” to an agreement with PSG at €125m (around £106m), with a proposed contract running until 2032. His post on X read: “Excl. – Bradley #Barcola is getting closer to #Liverpool from #PSG for 125M. Contract until 2032.”
That figure would still make Barcola one of the most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history. It would also represent a substantial climbdown from PSG’s initial demands. For that reason, the numbers need treating carefully at this stage. There is no sign yet that PSG have formally accepted such a fee, and the French club have been clear they will not be pushed around in the market.
Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has kept his cards close to his chest, but he has not slammed the door shut on a sale.
“We’re working calmly,” Al-Khelaifi said when asked about potential departures. “We don’t talk too much. We get things done. All of our players are important. When they sign for PSG, they become important to us.”
It’s a classic PSG stance: every star is vital, every negotiation done on their terms. Yet the fact Barcola’s future is even up for discussion, and that Liverpool already have a verbal understanding with the player, gives this saga a very different feel.
Liverpool need a new face on the right. Barcola wants Anfield. PSG want a huge cheque.
Something has to give.
