Liverpool's Renewed Push for Barcola and Mbaye
Liverpool have stepped back into negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain with what have been described as fresh bids for attacking duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, as the Premier League club pushes to accelerate a pivotal summer rebuild.
Liverpool push on after defensive rebuild
The early part of Liverpool’s window has been about shoring up the spine. Jeremy Jacquet has arrived from Stade Rennais for £55m, Victor Munoz from Osasuna for £34.5m, and Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona. Centre-backs and defensive structure first. Foundation laid.
Now the gaze has shifted higher up the pitch.
Liverpool’s recruitment team are understood to be concentrating their efforts on Barcola and Mbaye, two players PSG value as central assets but who now sit at the heart of one of the window’s most intriguing transfer sagas.
Barcola: the long chase that refuses to die
Barcola has been on Liverpool’s radar for months. The pursuit has survived changing narratives, shifting valuations and repeated insistence from Paris that he was “untouchable”.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano underlined that ongoing interest on his YouTube channel last week, linking the situation directly to Liverpool’s broader attacking reshuffle.
“The situation of Barcola remains absolutely linked to Liverpool,” Romano said. “Liverpool want Barcola. Liverpool are negotiating for Barcola… There’s still a gap in financial valuation between what PSG want and what Liverpool offer, but they’re still working for Barcola.
“The financial agreement with the player is okay, and now Liverpool and PSG keep talking, exchanging messages and discussing for Barcola. The deal is alive.”
That is the key line. The deal is alive. Not parked. Not abandoned. Active.
PSG are understood to value Barcola at around £130m, a figure that has so far represented the main obstacle. Liverpool’s attempts have centred on closing that gap, without smashing their own internal structure.
Enrique’s pointed comments and a telling omission
Luis Enrique has not named Barcola directly, but his recent words carry a clear undertone when placed alongside his team selections.
“We are a very young, very ambitious team,” the PSG head coach said at the weekend. “It is important for us to make changes and look for players who enjoy playing our way and who love playing for PSG.
“When a player doesn’t want to come here, or doesn’t have a smile on their face about being here, it is better to find another solution.”
Then came a decision that sharpened the speculation. Barcola and Mbaye were both left out of the squad for PSG’s Trophée des Champions defeat to Lens on Sunday. No minutes. No involvement.
Asked about their situation, Enrique kept his answer brief and parked it in the future: “I’ll talk about the situation after the transfer window has passed.”
For a club of PSG’s stature, those are not incidental details. They usually signal movement.
Double bid and a daunting price tag
PSG’s stance is clear on the numbers. Around £130m for Barcola. About £42m for Mbaye. A combined £172m package that would test even the most ambitious recruitment plan.
Despite that, Liverpool have not stepped away.
A well-known X account with more than 700,000 followers and a self-described team of “five elite reporters” claimed on Monday evening that Liverpool had tabled fresh offers for both players.
Their post read: “EXCLUSIVE: This evening around 5pm Liverpool Football Club drop a double bomb Fresh new bids for Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Sources say the Reds are confident the Barcola deal gets done. And they’re quietly hopeful the Mbaye bid lands too.”
The confidence around Barcola, according to that account, is notably stronger than around Mbaye, where Liverpool are described as “quietly hopeful”.
What’s at stake for Liverpool?
For Liverpool, this is about more than just adding two talented players. It is about redefining the next phase of the squad, with the club already juggling long-term questions around the futures of key forwards and how the attack will look in two or three years’ time.
They have moved early at the back. They are now attempting a high-end, high-cost swing in the final third, against a club that rarely feels compelled to sell.
PSG hold the cards on valuation. Liverpool hold the player-side agreement on Barcola, according to Romano. Somewhere between those positions, a decision will be made.
If the numbers finally align, this window could reshape Liverpool’s front line for years. If they don’t, the question will linger: where do they find this level of attacking upgrade next?
