The Merseyside club have been negotiating with the French champions regarding the France international for several weeks, with PSG holding out for that significant sum.
Warnock, who represented Liverpool during his playing career, described current transfer valuations as extraordinary while acknowledging the justification behind PSG’s asking price.
Arne Slot’s side have identified the PSG wide man as their primary summer target following Mohamed Salah’s exit at the conclusion of the campaign, though negotiations have stalled as the Parisian club continue seeking a fee that would exceed the amount paid to Newcastle United for Alexander Isak twelve months prior by £15m.
Barcola missed both of PSG’s matches last week as they secured the UEFA Super Cup victory against Aston Villa before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Lens in the Trophee des Champions, and while Warnock concedes these figures are becoming increasingly difficult to comprehend, he recognises why the Champions League winners are insisting on such a substantial sum for Barcola, who is keen on a move to Anfield in a deal the former Liverpool man feels is close to completion.
Speaking to the publication, Warnock stated the market had reached extraordinary levels and explained PSG’s position when considering Morgan Rogers’ £113m valuation. He pointed out that Barcola has won the Champions League twice, is a regular starter for the French national team, and questioned why the club shouldn’t command such a fee, adding that potential was also being factored into the valuation.
He dismissed the idea of paying £170m, stating that figure would be unthinkable, but suggested a fee in the region of £100-110m, while acknowledging the amounts being discussed remain absurd by historical standards yet reflect how the market has developed. He noted that Barcola’s non-involvement in the French Super Cup pointed toward the move being close.
However, he referenced the Isak situation at Newcastle, highlighting the importance of how the player has been training, their condition, and hoping they understand the transfer is progressing and are preparing accordingly, noting that Barcola appears to have been treated differently to how Isak was at St James’ Park.
Warnock stated that Liverpool were severely lacking a player last season capable of taking on opponents and altering matches single-handedly. He expressed confidence in Barcola’s ability to provide that dimension, while raising questions about whether he could deliver the goals the club requires. He suggested the manager would also be considering Isak and Florian Wirtz as options who could contribute scoring.
He mentioned Victor Munoz as potentially offering goals from the left flank and expressed hope for increased attacking output from the midfield. He believed the approach would mirror Arsenal’s strategy of distributing responsibility rather than depending heavily on one individual.
He noted that while players cannot truly be replaced, clubs throughout history had transitioned from legends like Kenny Dalglish to Ian Rush, Luis Suarez, and Steven Gerrard, finding new players and different solutions. He thought Liverpool supporters would accept that whoever arrives would be a different proposition to Salah, and if they could provide assists, chances for others, and change games, they would quickly win over the fans without the burden of being Salah’s successor. He felt there wouldn’t be that intense pressure to match those levels because replicating such impact is immensely challenging, and if the new signing could contribute around half those numbers while creating opportunities, and Isak and Wirtz begin scoring, or if Cody Gakpo remains, whoever it might be, it would be an entirely different type of player.