Liverpool close in on £114m Barcola as PSG drop asking price before deadline

Liverpool are edging closer to signing PSG winger Bradley Barcola, with the French champions lowering their asking price to around £114m as Tuesday’s transfer deadline approaches — down from the £145m they had been demanding throughout the summer.

The Reds have identified Barcola as their primary target in the final days of the window, with manager Andoni Iraola openly acknowledging his squad is short of options in wide positions. According to The Times, PSG’s softened stance has opened the door to fresh talks between the two clubs over the coming days.

At £114m, Barcola would become the second-most expensive signing in Liverpool’s history. The 23-year-old has two years remaining on his contract at the Parc des Princes but has asked to leave after slipping down the pecking order under Luis Enrique, who has since excluded him from his plans entirely. The arrivals of Desire Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche, and Mika Godts at PSG this summer have further marginalised his position.

Iraola has been candid about his recruitment needs ahead of the deadline. “We will definitely sign some players,” the Liverpool boss said earlier this month. “Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1, because it is true that we are still quite thin.”

He elaborated on the specific areas requiring reinforcement: “You are asking what we need — there are certain situations that for me are clear, especially on the wing because we don’t have enough players specifically to play in those positions. To improve our very good players, you need specific level players.”

Barcola is not the only wide player Liverpool have pursued. The club has made multiple bids for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, though all have been rejected by the Seagulls.

It has been a turbulent window at Anfield overall. Liverpool have completed the signings of Victor Munoz from Osasuna and Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, while Jeremy Jacquet and Ifeanyi Nduke — whose moves were agreed in January — have also officially joined, though Nduke has already departed on loan.