Today’s Liverpool FC transfer round-up column features contradictory information surrounding Liverpool’s two most discussed winger targets
Bradley Barcola has been omitted from PSG’s previous two matches as expectations grow that he will leave the club this summer (Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire)
As the transfer window enters its final fortnight, the rumour mill continues to buzz with plenty of activity concerning Liverpool’s transfer business.
First up, Liverpool’s chase for Bradley Barcola appears to be approaching its conclusion one way or another. Plenty of discussion surrounds the quick Paris Saint-Germain winger, with the club needing to act decisively to get a deal completed before the deadline.
Additionally, competing reports have circulated regarding Barcola’s teammate in Paris, Ibrahim Mbaye. Liverpool were said to have held genuine interest in the Senegalese winger a few weeks ago, who may only be 18 years old but has already demonstrated the qualities that all top-class wingers possess – not to mention he operates on the right flank.
Whatever Liverpool’s winger solution or solutions may be, the club also faces the issue of player sales. So far, Andoni Iraola’s side have only received £700,000 for midfielder Luca Stephenson this summer – but that looks set to change with potential departures for Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones generating significant attention.
Will Liverpool be adequately prepared for the upcoming Premier League season? Or will they leave themselves short? With just under two weeks remaining, the stakes are considerable – and they are set to increase further once competitive football begins.
Barcola transfer set to advance
Reports suggest Liverpool are preparing to make an official approach for Barcola in the coming days (Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire)
It feels as though this situation has been ongoing for some time, doesn’t it? Whether or not Liverpool have actually submitted a formal offer for primary target Bradley Barcola remains unclear, but the situation appears to be heading towards its conclusion.
Things became more concrete when the 23-year-old resumed training at Paris Saint-Germain last week. Although Barcola was named in the squad for the victory over Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup last Wednesday, he did not feature – and his apparent lack of enthusiasm was scrutinised by French journalists as he observed from the stands alongside Ibrahim Mbaye when the Parisian side lost 1-0 to Lens in the French Super Cup four days later.
Between those two matches, significant comments from PSG’s leadership clarified Barcola’s position. Following the win against Villa, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was guarded but acknowledged ongoing discussions, while manager Luis Enrique was considerably more direct in his press conference ahead of the Lens defeat on Saturday.
When a player does not appear happy at the club, finding an alternative solution becomes preferable, Enrique stated. It seems improbable that this solution involves leaving a player valued at well over £100m in the VIP seats for the entire campaign, so the influential figures in Paris appear to have accepted that Barcola’s departure is the most favourable outcome.
The following day, hours before the Lens match commenced, Jeunes Footeux reported that PSG could now be receptive to an offer ranging between €130m and €140m – representing a significant reduction from Paris’s original asking price of €170m, if accurate.
With just two weeks until deadline day, multiple outlets have indicated that Liverpool are preparing their final move. RMC Sport reported on Monday that the club continues to negotiate and expects to submit a fresh proposal soon, with the World Cup semi-finalist not anticipated to rejoin the Paris Saint-Germain squad until his situation is resolved.
Fabrizio Romano also provided his most substantial update in weeks on his YouTube channel. In the coming days, Liverpool are expected to make an official proposal for Bradley Barcola and continue direct discussions, Romano explained.
Several publications have since gone further, with indications that an offer has already been submitted. French outlet Foot 01 reported that Liverpool have made a substantially improved offer of €135m, which Paris Saint-Germain did not immediately reject.
An important caveat is that Foot 01 attributes this claim to English media sources, which is not especially reliable. However, the figure suggested – comparable to what Liverpool paid for Florian Wirtz last year – represents a plausible amount for a bid the club might make to try completing the deal.
TEAMtalk have also contributed their assessment. Their latest report claims that Liverpool have submitted one official offer of €115million for Barcola, though it remains unclear whether this represents a new proposal or the initial verbal offer the club is said to have made a few weeks ago.
Whatever the precise situation, the prevailing view suggests PSG’s successful triple signing of Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Godts and Ferran Torres has paved the way for Barcola’s departure – and this could also apply to Mbaye.
Mbaye personal terms agreed but move considered unlikely
There has been considerable speculation about Liverpool signing Ibrahim Mbaye as an additional wide option, though a transfer currently appears improbable (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Ibrahim Mbaye would represent a considerably more affordable option than Bradley Barcola, though with far less experience. Despite appearing to be another surprising transfer success for Liverpool, the deal became uncertain last Thursday when Fabrizio Romano reported on his YouTube channel that the club had determined Mbaye’s signing was prohibitively expensive.
Given the level of reported interest in the 18-year-old, Paris Saint-Germain appeared to have increased their asking price for Mbaye. Spanish outlet Diario AS claimed Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Porto, Leipzig, Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Roma and Aston Villa had all made enquiries about Mbaye, with United’s interest receiving more coverage in subsequent days.
However, on Monday, RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins – who initially broke the story of Liverpool’s interest – stated that Mbaye had agreed a five-year contract with Liverpool, and the club would now accelerate negotiations for the 15-cap Senegalese international.
While agreeing personal terms typically proves easier than agreeing a transfer fee for clubs of Liverpool’s stature, reaching agreement on specific contract details rather than just the general framework suggests more substantial interest.
Hawkins was not alone in this assessment. Loic Tanzi, who has covered the Barcola situation extensively this summer, also reported on social media that Liverpool are expected to submit an initial offer to Paris for Ibrahim Mbaye shortly.
There was even some transfer window detective work as Liverpool.com observed that new Reds centre-back Jeremy Jacquet had liked a post repeating the rumour on Instagram.
However, the ECHO’s current understanding is that Liverpool are unlikely to proceed with their interest in Mbaye.
As our own Ian Doyle notes in today’s Liverpool FC transfer live blog, there remains a fortnight for circumstances to change, and the only certainty in life is that situations evolve.
So there remains a possibility?
Jones injury described as misleading but Inter payment outstanding
Curtis Jones made his desire to join Inter Milan abundantly clear. If social media activity serves as a reliable indicator of footballers’ transfer intentions, Jones has effectively been imploring Inter to pay the required amount to facilitate his move to Italy.
Italian media have scrutinised every such signal from Jones this summer, from his Instagram activity to his on-pitch disagreement with Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas earlier in pre-season, and Sportmediaset are convinced that his absence from the previous two friendly matches extended beyond mere precaution.
Curtis Jones was omitted from Liverpool’s pre-season schedule with what the club described as a minor hip injury (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The minor hip issues reported by Liverpool’s medical staff, the Italian outlet claimed, more closely resemble a cover story to mask a seemingly inevitable separation.
Davide Frattesi’s loan move to Lazio for an initial €5m fee with a €10m option to purchase was viewed as enabling the transfer when it was completed last week, but Corriere dello Sport reported on Saturday that Inter now wish to sell winger Luis Henrique to raise the necessary funds to meet Liverpool’s valuation – which remains at €40m, according to The Athletic.
La Gazzetta dello Sport echoed this on Sunday. If Luis Henrique – who has been informed of his potential departure – were to actually leave, Inter would then possess the required resources to approach Liverpool and satisfy the Reds’ demands for Curtis Jones.
According to Fabrizio Romano, however, the transfer could progress regardless of whether the Brazilian finds a new club. Further discussions will occur, and any new bid is not contingent on other departures, Romano stated.
The question for Liverpool, therefore, appears to no longer be whether Jones will leave, but what measures they will take to compensate for his absence. For those of a anxious disposition, this next section may prove uncomfortable.
Journalist David Lynch told Anfield Index’s Media Matters podcast on Monday that there is almost no chance of a midfielder being signed this summer, even if Curtis departs.
Instead, the solution appears more likely to come from within the squad. Jones will not necessarily be replaced from outside the club, with Trey Nyoni potentially taking his minutes, Lynch continued.
Nyoni impressed during pre-season, but can he step in as Liverpool’s fourth-choice midfielder? We may be about to discover the answer.
Additional reports today
Liverpool maintain that Cody Gakpo is not available for transfer, according to Seb Stafford-Bloor for The Athletic. Gregg Evans and James Pearce, though working for the same publication, suggest Gakpo’s future will depend on any incoming transfer activity as the club seeks to recruit two wingers before authorising any further departures. Tottenham Hotspur are interested in acquiring Gakpo as Roberto De Zerbi reconstructs last season’s relegation-threatened attack. Meanwhile, Liverpool.com rightly pointed out that Liverpool would be justified in demanding a higher fee for Gakpo after The Athletic revealed Chelsea’s £100m valuation for Pedro Neto.
Cody Gakpo scored Liverpool’s opening goal in their final pre-season friendly against Como on Sunday (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Liverpool maintain close observation of £17.2m Dario Osorio, a 22-year-old Chilean winger currently playing for FC Midtjylland, according to a Danish report. Everton, Leeds, AC Milan and Arsenal have also been credited with interest. Jonas Lossl, former Midtjylland goalkeeper, has praised Osorio’s left-footed striking ability. His technique is excellent, Lossl stated previously. More pressingly – could this be another Fergalicious moment?
Transfer suggestion of the day
Some transfer proposals deserve to be dismissed with the same force as Enzo Fernandez applied to Pau Cubarsi in the World Cup final (Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
As mentioned at the beginning, Liverpool face a challenging situation regarding net expenditure this summer. Previously masters of player sales, the club has not recouped significant funds beyond the £700,000 received for Luca Stephenson’s move to Bolton Wanderers – and now face expenditure exceeding £100m to sign Bradley Barcola alongside the £96.4m already spent on Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz.
Additionally, as covered in previous columns, the club confronts an issue regarding non-homegrown player registration. This likely influences Liverpool’s stance on replacing Jones, with homegrown options like Adam Wharton perhaps not matching the profile of midfielder Iraola would prefer.
Spending £120m on a non-homegrown midfielder represents the least probable action Liverpool will take this summer. Particularly if that player carries significant concerns regarding discipline and temperament.
Nevertheless, this is precisely what Live4Liverpool writer Michael Mongie has advocated. According to Mongie, Liverpool require Fernandez to balance their talented but flawed midfield.
Mongie makes a case for the Reds testing the market with their own proposal for the departing Fernandez, after Manchester City missed Chelsea’s self-imposed deadline of last Friday to sell the 25-year-old.
Fernandez is undoubtedly a quality player. City have been strongly linked with the Argentine as they seek to address the Rodri-shaped gap in their midfield this season, with Fernandez fitting the profile of a player who managed 10 league goals and four assists despite Chelsea’s disappointing 10th-placed finish last campaign.
One can see why the move might succeed at Liverpool. Fernandez at his best represents a complete midfielder, combining athleticism with creativity, goalscoring ability and assertiveness.
Numerous reasons exist why this would be problematic, though. Fernandez displays a clearly aggressive side and has become a destabilising presence at Chelsea – the last thing Liverpool require after a fractious final season under Arne Slot.
And while arguments exist that positives might outweigh negatives, Mongie openly acknowledges that such an ambitious move would be unrealistic in a market where Liverpool already struggle to secure their priority targets.
Perhaps next summer will bring increased investment in the midfield area, but this suggestion should be rejected with as much conviction as Fernandez himself demonstrated towards Pau Cubarsi a month ago.
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