Liverpool have got their man. After a fortnight of haggling with Paris St-Germain, the Reds have agreed a package worth up to £123m for Bradley Barcola, and the France forward is expected to complete his medical this weekend before signing a long-term contract at Anfield.
The structure of the deal tells you how the negotiation went. Liverpool will pay an initial £106m, with a further £17m sitting in add-ons. PSG opened at £145m and held that number for a while. They did not get it.
What Liverpool are actually buying
Barcola is 23. He is right-footed but has spent most of his PSG career cutting in from the left, which is exactly where Liverpool have looked least settled since the season kicked off. He is quick over the first ten yards, comfortable running at a full-back one against one, and he has been trusted on big European nights since he was 21. That mix does not come cheap in 2026, and Liverpool decided it was worth the outlay.
There is a France factor too. Barcola came out of a heavy summer with his stock high, and the market has priced him accordingly. Clubs pay a premium for young international wingers with resale value. Liverpool have just paid it.
Where does this leave Cody Gakpo?
This is the part Liverpool supporters will chew over. Gakpo has been a reliable left-sided option at Anfield, but a signing of this size makes his situation awkward. BBC Sport reports that both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have shown interest in the Netherlands forward.
Neither club has moved yet. Deadline day has a habit of turning polite interest into a formal bid, though, and Liverpool would not be short of takers if they decided to cash in.
Liverpool are not finished
The right flank is still on the shopping list. Liverpool have looked at Brighton's Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr, and neither move has been ruled out. Sarr in particular keeps showing up in the Reds' scouting notes.
Whether the club has the appetite for a second enormous outlay in one window is another question. Barcola alone represents one of the biggest fees a Premier League side has ever paid for a wide player.
What happens next
Barcola travels for his medical this weekend. Assuming nothing unusual shows up, the announcement should land before the window shuts. PSG, having already reshaped their attack this summer, then have to decide whether to reinvest the fee or trust what they have.
For Liverpool the logic is simple enough. They finished last season needing more directness in the final third. £123m later, they have gone and bought it.
Source: BBC Sport
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