Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool remain in daily talks with Paris Saint Germain over Bradley Barcola, but the deal is still at an early stage. Romano also says Liverpool have not sent an official bid, only indicated some numbers, and they are still far away from PSG’s price. PSG, for their part, are still asking for more and there is no agreement yet.

Liverpool still need to raise their offer

Romano was blunt about where things stand. Liverpool “need to improve their opening conversations” and, as he put it, “from my information, Liverpool didn't send an official bid to Paris Saint-Germain.” He added that the club-to-club talks have started, but the numbers Liverpool have indicated are still “far away from what Paris Saint-Germain want.”

That is the main point here. This is not a deal at the point of completion, and it is not being treated as one by the people closest to it. PSG are holding their line, and the gap between the clubs is still the story.

Barcola’s output helps explain why. He has played 2,971 minutes, made 49 appearances, scored 13 goals and added 7 assists across all competitions this season. A player being used that heavily is always going to carry a high price tag, and PSG are behaving like a club that knows it.

Arsenal’s angle is still there

There is a second strand, even if Liverpool are the club Romano focused on. Perry Groves claimed Barcola wants to live in London, and he said Arsenal are the side with the better chance of winning the Premier League or Champions League right now. That is only one view, but it keeps Arsenal in the conversation if the player really does have London in mind.

The competitive case for Arsenal is not hard to make. They finished first in the 2025 Premier League and first in the 2025 Champions League league phase, while Liverpool finished fifth in the 2025 Premier League and third in the 2025 Champions League league phase. Those results give Groves’ argument some backing, even if Liverpool are still the club in direct talks.

For now, the clearest read is that Liverpool are pushing, PSG are not budging, and Barcola remains exactly where transfer stories often sit in August, with interest, noise and a valuation that has not been matched. The next step is still the same one: Liverpool need to move closer to PSG’s number before anything serious can happen.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →