Liverpool Pursue £100m Barcola and Mbaye in Transfer Overhaul
Liverpool’s summer rebuild on the wings has moved into high gear. The club have pushed a huge new offer on the table for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola and opened a parallel track for his team‑mate Ibrahim Mbaye, in a move that underlines just how aggressively they intend to reshape their attack.
This is no tentative enquiry. According to BBC Sport, Liverpool have now signalled they are ready to go to £100m (€117m) for Barcola, having initially entered negotiations at around €100m (£86m). PSG, though, started out at a staggering €150m (£128.5m) valuation for the 23‑year‑old, leaving a sizeable gap to close.
The talks are real and advanced enough. Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Monday that “official club‑to‑club talks” are underway between Liverpool and PSG for Barcola, with the two sides haggling over where, exactly, this deal should land.
Liverpool move on from Diomande – and double down
Liverpool’s focus on Barcola sharpened after they missed out on Yan Diomande. The winger had initially chosen PSG, only for Real Madrid to swoop in and hijack the move. That twist forced Liverpool to pivot quickly, and Barcola has become the central piece of their response.
Crucially, Barcola wants Anfield. The forward has been attracted by the promise of more game time under new head coach Andoni Iraola, who has made it clear he sees the Frenchman as a major part of his attacking blueprint.
PSG, reading the room, are already planning for life without him. They have turned their attention to Maghnes Akliouche at Monaco and Mika Godts at Ajax as potential replacements, a clear sign in Paris that Barcola’s exit is no longer an abstract scenario but a likely outcome – if the numbers line up.
For Liverpool, the equation is simple: get the fee right and the rest should fall into place. Personal terms with Barcola are not expected to be an obstacle, which means any breakthrough between the clubs could see the transfer wrapped up quickly.
A new-look front line: Barcola left, Mbaye right
Liverpool are not stopping at one marquee winger. They are pushing for an eye‑catching double swoop on PSG, with Mbaye also firmly in their sights.
The 18‑year‑old, who caught the eye for Senegal at the World Cup, offers a different profile and a different flank. Barcola prefers to attack from the left, drifting inside and driving at defenders. Mbaye is more at home on the right, stretching play and threatening in behind. Together, they would give Liverpool fresh, high‑ceiling options on both wings in a single window.
Reliable French reporter Fabrice Hawkins has reported that Liverpool have already made contact with PSG over Mbaye. The interest is serious enough that the player’s new representative, Jorge Mendes, is now involved in discussions.
On Tuesday night, Romano added another layer. Liverpool, he said, have made contact with Mbaye’s camp, with the youngster giving “priority” to the Liverpool project despite proposals from Bundesliga clubs. A move to RB Leipzig had been close, but that deal collapsed when Diomande’s proposed switch to PSG fell through, reshaping the market and leaving Mbaye back in play.
Now Liverpool are trying to take advantage.
High stakes, high spend
The message from Anfield is unmistakable. This is not a minor tweak to the squad; it is an attempted overhaul of the wide positions, built around youth, pace and upside, and funded at elite-market prices.
PSG still hold the cards on Barcola’s fee and will push hard to extract as much as possible. Liverpool, for their part, have already shown a willingness to climb significantly from their opening stance. With Mbaye’s camp listening closely and Barcola keen on the move, the pressure shifts squarely onto the negotiating table.
If Liverpool get both over the line, they will walk into the new season with two new wingers, one on each side, both hungry, both with something to prove.
The only question now is whether Liverpool are prepared to go that final step in a market where hesitation usually means someone else steps in first.
