Liverpool have agreed a 125 million euro deal with Paris Saint-Germain to sign French winger Bradley Barcola, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The total cost of the transfer could rise by a further 20 million euros in performance-related bonuses. Barcola is scheduled to undergo medical tests within the next 24 hours before signing his contract with the Premier League club.
The Athletic reported that Barcola was identified as a key target on Liverpool's list to replace long-serving Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah. The initial fee will not immediately break Liverpool's transfer record, which stands at 145 million euros paid for striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United. However, if all bonus clauses are met, Barcola will equal Isak as the most expensive signing in the club's history.
Before securing the deal for Barcola, Liverpool had evaluated several other attacking targets. The club's wish list previously included Ibrahim Mbaye of Paris Saint-Germain, Yan Diomande of Real Madrid, Yankuba Minteh of Brighton, and Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace.
New ownership and squad restructuring
The acquisition comes during a major transitional phase for Liverpool under newly appointed manager Andoni Iraola. The Anfield side recently entered a new era after the 1892 Holdings consortium acquired a 40 percent stake in the club. The investment group includes American billionaire Jeff Bezos, who was ranked as the world's richest person between 2018 and 2021.
Liverpool had already invested over 100 million euros in squad upgrades during the current transfer window prior to the Barcola deal. That initial spending included defender Jeremy Jacquet from French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais and winger Victor Munoz from Spanish La Liga club Osasuna.
Career history and PSG replacement moves
Liverpool will represent the third senior club of Barcola's professional career. He spent over a decade at French club Olympique Lyon between 2010 and 2023 before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth 45 million euros. During his spell in Paris, the winger made 152 appearances for PSG, scoring 39 goals and registering 37 assists.
PSG prepared for Barcola's departure by completing two major attacking transfers of their own. The French champions spent 50 million euros to sign Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco and paid 45 million euros for Mika Godts from Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam.
Recent results and upcoming fixtures
On the pitch, Liverpool were trailing 1 to 2 against Newcastle United until deep into injury time in their recent match. Dominik Szoboszlai secured a point by scoring a penalty in the ninth minute of added time. Liverpool return to action on Saturday when they face Nottingham Forest at 13:30.
