Liverpool reach £120m agreement with PSG to sign Barcola as Iraola admits squad needs depth

Liverpool have reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain over a £120m deal for Bradley Barcola, with the French winger identified as the club’s top priority to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah’s departure.

The deal is not yet complete, but The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that the two clubs have aligned on a package in principle. Manager Andoni Iraola, speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest, stopped short of naming Barcola directly but made no attempt to disguise the club’s intent.

“As you know, we are trying to sign in that position,” Iraola said. “We can’t talk about players who right now aren’t ours. But we are trying to improve and fill that position as we don’t have the numbers. I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there.”

The urgency behind the pursuit was underlined by Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle in their Premier League season-opener. Rio Ngumoha started on the right wing having spent only a summer learning the position, while Lewis Koumas was introduced in the second half to make his top-flight debut — a combination that exposed the thinness of Iraola’s attacking options.

The Spaniard did not limit his ambitions to wide reinforcements, leaving open the possibility of further incomings — and outgoings — before the window shuts on 2 September. “There are certain things we can do but it’s true we need players in the wide areas,” he said. “I’m sure if we can improve other areas we will, but I don’t know how the market is going to finish. I have to be patient as well as you.”

Iraola also acknowledged the unpredictability of deadline-day business. “Experience tells us that if there’s an opportunity the last day you can do something,” he said, via the Liverpool Echo. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have in my head what I want. We’ve been talking since the beginning with the club; they know what we want. It’s about closing the deals.”

With fewer than five days remaining in the window, Liverpool will be working to convert the Barcola agreement into a signed deal before the deadline passes.