Why Liverpool are ready to take Barcola third
According to Sports.
Background
Bradley Barcola, a 23-year-old winger, moved from Lyon to Paris St-Germain in 2023 and has quickly established himself as a key player. His impressive performances in the Champions League and participation in the World Cup have raised his profile in the transfer market. Liverpool see him as a valuable addition to revitalize their offense and assert themselves in the title race.
Why this is important
The signing of Bradley Barcola could be a crucial step for Liverpool to strengthen their attack and remain competitive in the Premier League and Champions League competition. After a disappointing season in which they finished fifth, another quality player in the transfer market is essential to close the gap on the top teams. Barcola's skills as a strong dribbling winger could significantly improve the creativity and dynamism of Liverpool's attack.
Key findings
- Why Liverpool are ready to take Barcola third.
- Liverpool is set to make Bradley Barcola their third £100m signing, as the winger from PSG has become a key target for the club, following his successful performances in the Champions League and the World Cup.
- Why Liverpool are ready to make Barcola third £100m signing.
Liverpool have already signed two players for more than £100 million — midfielder Florian Wirtz and striker Alexander Isak — and could soon spend that much again. Paris St-Germain's French winger Bradley Barcola has been targeted by Liverpool and the Reds are willing to pay around £100m for him, while PSG are hoping for a transfer fee of almost £145m. Liverpool, who finished fifth in the Premier League last season and finished 25 points behind champions Arsenal, could end up paying up to £116m to Bayer Leverkusen for Wirtz, while the club had to spend a club record £125m on Newcastle's Isak in September. Now the club could again boast a record transfer fee and are targeting the signing of 23-year-old Barcola, who was part of France's squad at the 2026 World Cup. The titles Barcola has won so far are already accumulating. The nimble, direct and technically adept winger loves running towards opponents and overcoming them while dribbling. He appeared as a second-half substitute in the last two Champions League finals, when PSG beat Inter Milan 5-0 in 2025 and when they beat Arsenal on penalties to retain the title in May. Barcola moved in 2023 for reportedly £38.5 million
on Lyon to PSG and has since won Ligue 1 three times, the French Cup twice, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Although he is right-handed, he prefers to play on the left wing, but can also operate on the right side or through the middle. Since PSG also has options for the wings with the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Frenchman Désiré Doué, Barcola doesn't always get 90 minutes of playing time. A move to Anfield would guarantee him more playing time. Following the departure of Mohamed Salah, who left the club last summer after nine extremely successful years, Liverpool clearly need to strengthen their attack. French striker Hugo Ekitike suffered an Achilles tendon injury in April and is expected to be unable to play until 2026. Additionally, Cody Gakpo, who can also play on the left and up front, has been linked with a move to Tottenham, although Liverpool have said they do not want to sell Gakpo. Barcola has played 28 times for the French national team and scored three goals at this year's World Cup, including a goal in the 6-4 defeat against England in the third place game. However, his playing time with the national team was also limited because the skills of his 21-year-old teammate Doué are also highly valued at PSG. Coach Didier
Deschamps relied on Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé in the right midfield and rotated between Barcola and Doué, so that both of them only appeared together in a game four times in the tournament and each of them was used in a total of eight World Cup games for the national team, but never in the same game. At first glance, Barcola seems to be the natural successor to Luis Díaz. Liverpool decided against signing a replacement following the Colombian winger's departure last summer, but data analysis suggests the PSG winger could fill that role. Opta's player similarity model ranks the Frenchman as the player whose performances most closely resembled former Liverpool player Díaz in Europe's top five leagues in the 2025-26 season (78%). Mohamed Salah (65%), Lamine Yamal (61%) and Vinicius Junior (61%) are the next players to appear in this statistic. However, a closer analysis shows that Liverpool would not simply sign another winger to take Díaz's role. Although Barcola is a left winger by nature, having played almost all of his minutes in that position in the Champions League group stage, his game is heavily influenced by the instincts of a centre-forward. He played as a striker until the age of 17, and this fact is reflected in both his movement and i
n his shot selection. Last season he averaged 3.5 shots per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, which placed him among the most active shooters in the league despite playing predominantly on the wings. With 9.83 expected goals (xG), he was in the 95th percentile among wingers in Europe's top five leagues, meaning that only around 5% of wing players regularly get into better scoring positions than him. He also capitalized on these chances by scoring 11 goals in Ligue 1, surpassing his xG figure. No PSG player or Ligue 1 winger had a higher xG number than Barcola in the 2025-26 season. His shooting statistics also show that he targets dangerous positions in the middle of the pitch rather than preferring to shoot from distance. Only Ousmane Dembélé had a better combination of shot volume and chance conversion in Ligue 1, which underlines a player's ability to both score goals and create chances for his teammates, and this ability was particularly pronounced at Barcola. The comparison with Salah is equally revealing. While both players pose a significant goal threat, Barcola is a more direct dribbler. Last season he attempted more dribbles per 90 minutes than the Egyptian (4.26 to 3.38), but created fewer chances (2.16 to 2.33) and made significantly fewer crosses (1.15 to 4.8
9) and fewer passes to the top (0.25 to 0.59). The statistics suggest that Barcola is more concerned with getting past defenders directly, while Salah is more concerned with orchestrating attacks from wide positions. Even without the ball, Barcola is characterized by a style of play that is likely to be very well received by potential buyers. Last season he ranked ninth in Europe's top five leagues for balls recovered in the opposition's third. This statistic reflects the aggressive pressing that Andoni Iraola would probably demand from Barcola. It could well be that Barcola would fit into Liverpool's evolving game. With Wirtz able to provide optimal service to teammates moving between the lines, and Ekitike and Isak expected to keep opposing teams' centre-backs busy, Liverpool may need another player capable of attacking spaces rather than constantly wanting to be fed the ball. Barcola's willingness to move into scoring positions and occupy such spaces could provide just that extra element for Liverpool. Perhaps most pleasing to a potential buyer is the fact that one can assume that Barcola has not yet reached its performance peak. He is considered a late development player and has already developed from the sixth
promising talent from Lyon's youth into a player who will win titles in the Champions League.
What happens next
Should Liverpool actually move forward with negotiations with PSG, it could have a significant impact on the summer transfer window. PSG are demanding a high transfer fee, which could complicate negotiations, but Liverpool have already proven they are willing to spend record sums on the right players. The next steps could also involve other clubs such as Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen in the competition for Barcola, which could further complicate the situation.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Bradley Barcola?
Bradley Barcola is a 23-year-old French winger who currently plays for Paris St-Germain.
Which club does Bradley Barcola come from?
Bradley Barcola moved from Lyon to Paris St-Germain in 2023.
Why are Liverpool interested in Bradley Barcola?
Liverpool are prepared to pay around £100m for Bradley Barcola to sign him as their third £100m transfer.
How high is the transfer fee that PSG is demanding for Barcola?
Paris St-Germain are hoping for a transfer fee of almost £145 million for Bradley Barcola.
When could Barcola's transfer become official?
The exact date for the official confirmation of Bradley Barcola's transfer is currently unknown.
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