Liverpool Close to Signing Bradley Barcola from PSG

Liverpool have moved a significant step closer to one of the blockbuster deals of the summer, with an agreement in principle struck with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola – while they also push hard to bring Ibrahim Mbaye to Anfield.

Liverpool close on Barcola after drawn-out stand-off

The Barcola saga has been simmering for weeks. Liverpool’s intent has never really been in doubt; their willingness to meet PSG’s demands most certainly has.

Graeme Bailey first reported on July 28 that Liverpool had made Barcola a priority target for this window. The winger, who lit up the 2026 World Cup with France, has already informed PSG he will not sign a new contract and wants out of the French champions. His preference, sources say, is clear: he wants Liverpool.

PSG responded in the only way PSG tend to respond – by setting a sky‑high price. The Ligue 1 and Champions League winners valued the 23-year-old at around €170m, a figure that would have put him among the most expensive players in history.

Liverpool balked. On August 6, L’Equipe revealed the Premier League side were prepared to go to €120m, while PSG dug their heels in at €150m. Liverpool, backed by Fenway Sports Group, held their line. PSG held theirs. A classic stand-off.

Now the gap has finally narrowed.

According to Liverpool-focused outlet DaveocKop, the clubs have reached an agreement in principle on a fee of around €128m, with add-ons that are described as more realistic than those previously proposed. Crucially, this comes on top of an earlier claim from France that Liverpool already have a contractual agreement in place with Barcola himself.

Nothing is signed. No medical, no photos with a scarf, no official announcement. For now, it is one outlet calling the deal agreed in principle, and it still requires broader corroboration. But the shape of the deal is clear: Liverpool have moved up, PSG have climbed down, and the numbers now sit in a range that both sides can live with.

For Liverpool, this would be a statement of intent in the post-Jürgen Klopp era. A 23-year-old, World Cup standout, prised from the European champions at a fee north of €100m, choosing Anfield as his next stage.

Mbaye chase gathers pace

While Barcola dominates the headlines, Liverpool’s recruitment team have not stopped there. The club are also firmly in the race for Ibrahim Mbaye, another PSG winger who is edging towards the exit.

Fabrizio Romano has detailed Liverpool’s push over the past few days. Speaking on The Market Madness on August 6, he described “genuine interest” from Liverpool and confirmed that talks are under way with Mbaye’s new agent, Jorge Mendes. Bayer Leverkusen had been driving hard for the deal, but Romano now has Liverpool “leading the race”.

Two days earlier, at 10:15pm on August 4, Romano reported that Liverpool had already made contact with Mendes. Mbaye, he said, has proposals from Bundesliga clubs, yet is giving priority to the Liverpool project. A move to RB Leipzig had been close before collapsing when the Diomande-PSG deal fell through, leaving the door wide open for Anfield.

TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey has backed that up, stating on August 6 that Liverpool are in talks with Mbaye’s representatives and that the player himself is keen on the switch.

So Liverpool stand on the brink of one huge deal and are deep in negotiations for another. If FSG manage to land both Barcola and Mbaye from PSG in the same window, it would reshape the club’s attacking options in a single, audacious sweep – and send a very clear message about where they intend to sit in the European hierarchy over the next few seasons.