In the long aftermath of Mohamed Salah's departure, Liverpool find themselves once again reaching into the upper atmosphere of the transfer market, where ambition and arithmetic must eventually reconcile. The club, having already reshaped their attack with Wirtz and Isak, now pursue PSG's Bradley Barcola — a 23-year-old Frenchman whose instincts were forged as a striker and whose data places him among the most dangerous wide players in Europe. Whether a deal can be struck between Liverpool's £100m ceiling and PSG's £145m floor will say much about how far modern football's wealthiest clubs are
Liverpool eye Barcola as third £100m signing to replace Salah
A winger who attacks like a striker, constantly finding himself in goalscoring positions
Mark
Why does Liverpool need Barcola specifically? They've already spent over £200 million this summer.
Mimi
Salah left a void that's not just about one player—it's about a specific kind of threat. Barcola offers something different from what Wirtz and Isak provide. He's a winger who attacks like a striker, constantly finding himself in goalscoring positions.
Mark
But he's a squad player at PSG, isn't he? He doesn't play 90 minutes every match.
Mimi
That's true, but it's partly because PSG have Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doudé competing for the same spots. At Liverpool, he'd be a starter. The limited minutes at PSG don't reflect his quality—they reflect PSG's depth.
Mark
The stats you mentioned—the 95th percentile for expected goals—what does that actually mean for how he plays?
Mimi
It means he's constantly in positions where he should be scoring. He doesn't just drift wide and cross. He drives at defenders, eliminates them, and arrives in the box. He averaged nearly nine touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 minutes. That's a striker's positioning from a winger's role.
Mark
How does he compare to Salah, really?
Mimi
Salah is a more complete orchestrator—he creates chances for others, he crosses, he threads through balls. Barcola is more direct. He takes on defenders more often and looks to finish attacks himself. It's a different kind of winger, but one that might actually fit better with Wirtz and Isak.
Mark
Is £100 million reasonable for a 23-year-old?
Mimi
For a player with his trophy cabinet and statistical profile, it's defensible. He's already won Champions Leagues, Ligue One titles, and played in World Cups. But PSG asking £145 million suggests they don't want to sell. That's the real question—whether Liverpool can bridge that gap or move on.
Mark
What happens if they don't sign him?
Mimi
They still have Gakpo, and there are other wingers in the market. But Barcola offers something specific—a player who's proven at the highest level and still improving. That's rare at 23.
Il Polso
- Salah's exit after 257 goals left a wound that no single signing has yet closed, and injuries to Ekitike and uncertainty over Gakpo have made the need for a wide attacker urgent rather than aspirational.
- PSG are in no hurry to sell, holding firm at £145m for a player they regard as central to their identity — a gap of £45m that is not a rounding error but a statement of competing valuations.
- Barcola's numbers are not marketing — his 95th-percentile expected goals ranking and unique ability to average more than two shot-ending carries per 90 minutes mark him as a genuinely rare profile in European football.
- Liverpool's new manager Andoni Iraola demands relentless pressing and intensity, and Barcola's ninth-place ranking in possessions won in the final third suggests he is already built for exactly that system.
- Negotiations are active but unresolved, with Liverpool's summer spending power and PSG's valuation stubbornness setting the terms of a standoff that will define the shape of Anfield's attack for years to come.
In the long aftermath of Mohamed Salah's departure, Liverpool find themselves once again reaching into the upper atmosphere of the transfer market, where ambition and arithmetic must eventually reconcile. The club, having already reshaped their attack with Wirtz and Isak, now pursue PSG's Bradley Barcola — a 23-year-old Frenchman whose instincts were forged as a striker and whose data places him among the most dangerous wide players in Europe. Whether a deal can be struck between Liverpool's £100m ceiling and PSG's £145m floor will say much about how far modern football's wealthiest clubs are willing to stretch in pursuit of a generation-defining squad.
Liverpool are pursuing their third nine-figure signing of the summer, with Bradley Barcola of Paris St-Germain the target. Having already spent £116m on Florian Wirtz and a club-record £125m on Alexander Isak, the club are prepared to offer around £100m for the 23-year-old French winger — though PSG are holding out for closer to £145m.
The motivation is clear. Mohamed Salah left on a free transfer after nine years and 257 goals, and Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League, 25 points behind champions Arsenal. Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles in April and is out for the year. Cody Gakpo, despite links to Tottenham, is said not to be for sale. Barcola would fill the void Salah left while bringing a different kind of danger.
The Frenchman joined PSG from Lyon in 2023 for £38.5m and has since won three Ligue 1 titles, two French Cups, and back-to-back Champions League medals — coming off the bench in both finals. He scored three times at this summer's World Cup, including in France's 6-4 loss to England in the third-place playoff.
The data behind his game is striking. He averaged 3.5 shots per 90 minutes from wide areas and posted an expected goals figure ranking in the 95th percentile among European wingers. He was the only player across Europe's top five leagues to average more than two shot-ending carries per 90 — a measure of his ability to drive at defenders and manufacture his own chances. His 8.69 touches per 90 in the opposition penalty area ranked seventh among more than 1,500 eligible players.
His profile differs from Salah's in important ways. Barcola is a more direct carrier who looks to eliminate defenders himself, shaped by the years he spent as a centre-forward before converting to the wing at 17. He creates fewer chances for others but attacks dangerous central areas with elite frequency. Under Luis Enrique at PSG, his game has matured — he now shows better judgment about when to accelerate and when to recycle, and his pressing output ranked ninth in Europe's top five leagues last season, a quality Iraola is expected to prize.
With Wirtz threading runners in behind and Isak occupying central defenders, Liverpool arguably need exactly what Barcola offers: a player who attacks space and arrives in goalscoring positions rather than demanding the ball to feet. At 23, and still developing, there is a credible case that his best football is ahead of him.
The obstacle is price. PSG are reluctant sellers and their valuation significantly exceeds what Liverpool have tabled. Whether that gap closes in the coming weeks will determine whether Barcola becomes the third pillar of a rebuilt Anfield attack.
Liverpool are in the market for another blockbuster signing. The club has already spent over £100 million twice this summer—£116 million on midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and a club-record £125 million on striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle back in September. Now they are eyeing Paris St-Germain's Bradley Barcola, the 23-year-old French winger, as a third nine-figure addition. Liverpool are prepared to offer around £100 million, though PSG are holding firm at closer to £145 million.
The need is real. Mohamed Salah departed on a free transfer at the end of last season after nine years and 257 goals, leaving a gaping hole in Liverpool's attack. The club finished fifth in the Premier League, 25 points adrift of champions Arsenal. Hugo Ekitike, another attacking option, ruptured his Achilles tendon in April and will not play again in 2026. Cody Gakpo, who can operate on the left wing or centrally, has been linked with a move to Tottenham, though Liverpool insist he is not for sale. Barcola would give the Reds a direct replacement for Salah's output and a different kind of threat than what they currently possess.
Barcola arrived at PSG from Lyon in 2023 for £38.5 million and has since accumulated serious silverware. He came off the bench in both of the past two Champions League finals—when PSG demolished Inter Milan 5-0 in 2024-25 and then edged Arsenal on penalties to retain the title in May. He has won three Ligue One titles, the French Cup twice, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. At international level, he has earned 28 caps for France and scored three times at this summer's World Cup, including in the 6-4 loss to England in the third-fourth playoff.
What makes Barcola particularly intriguing is the data. Last season in Ligue 1, he averaged 3.5 shots per 90 minutes from wide areas—an elite volume for a winger. His expected goals figure of 9.83 ranked in the 95th percentile among wingers across Europe's top five leagues, meaning only about 5 percent of wide players found themselves in better goalscoring positions. He converted those chances into 11 league goals, outperforming his xG. He was the only player across the continent's top five leagues to average more than two shot-ending carries per 90 minutes, illustrating his ability to drive at defenders and create shooting opportunities for himself. He also averaged 8.69 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 minutes—the seventh-highest figure among more than 1,500 eligible players.
His profile differs markedly from Salah's. While both pose a significant goal threat, Barcola is a more direct ball carrier. He attempted 4.26 take-ons per 90 compared to Salah's 3.38, but created fewer chances overall and attempted far fewer crosses and through balls. He looks to eliminate defenders himself rather than orchestrate attacks from wide areas. He played as a striker until age 17, and that centre-forward instinct shapes his movement and shot selection even now. His shot map reveals a player who attacks dangerous central areas rather than settling for speculative efforts from distance. Only Ousmane Dembélé had a better combined shot volume with chance creation in Ligue 1.
Under PSG manager Luis Enrique, Barcola's game has continued to evolve. His passing profile across three Champions League campaigns has become increasingly focused on progressing play in the final third, reflecting greater tactical maturity. Rather than dribbling at every opportunity, he now shows better judgment about when to accelerate attacks and when to recycle possession. He ranked ninth across Europe's top five leagues for possessions won in the final third last season, a metric reflecting the aggressive pressing and intensity that new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola is expected to demand.
That profile may suit Liverpool's evolving attack. With Wirtz excelling at releasing runners between the lines and Isak expected to occupy central defenders, the Reds arguably need another player capable of attacking space rather than demanding the ball to feet. Barcola's willingness to make penetrative runs and arrive in goalscoring positions could provide exactly that. Perhaps most encouragingly, there is reason to believe he has not yet reached his ceiling. A late physical developer, he has already transformed from a promising Lyon academy graduate into a two-time Champions League winner. At 23, his blend of pace, intelligent movement, elite shot volume, relentless pressing, and growing creative output suggests one of Europe's most complete young wide forwards is still improving.
The sticking point remains price. PSG are reluctant to sell and are pricing Barcola well above what Liverpool are willing to pay. Whether the gap can be bridged in the coming weeks will determine whether the Reds land their third £100 million player or turn their attention elsewhere.
Citazioni salienti
He's proved his worth. A big signing for the new manager makes sense, get the season started with a buzz.— Lee, Liverpool supporter
Barcola would be a good signing but he's not worth anywhere near £100m. He's a squad player at PSG.— Stu, Liverpool supporter
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