Bradley Barcola is back on Liverpool's radar, with fresh contact made with his camp and enough encouragement for the Premier League club to believe a move could still open up. But Paris Saint Germain are publicly holding the line that he is not for sale, and Arsenal remain in the race as well.

The picture is messy, not settled. Barcola was restricted to a bit-part role in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich before playing just seven minutes in the final against Arsenal, and PSG value him at around €120million (£103m, $136m). That valuation alone explains why this is still a standoff rather than a fast-moving deal.

Liverpool's renewed contact

Liverpool have identified Barcola as their priority target to replace Mohamed Salah on the right flank. That is the clearest reason they have gone back to his camp, with one source telling TEAMtalk that Liverpool have spoken again with Barcola’s representatives in recent days and received further encouragement that the 23-year-old is preparing to leave the Parc des Princes before the transfer window closes.

There is also the player side of it. A source close to Barcola said he believes he has slipped behind Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele in the pecking order. He has only 3 appearances and 131 minutes in the stat sample, which fits the sense of a player whose recent role has not matched his standing in the squad.

PSG's public stance and Arsenal's interest

PSG's message is still the biggest obstacle. The Athletic report cited by Metro says the club have no desire to sell Barcola despite his grievances over playing time, even while other reporting suggests they may listen if the right offer arrives. That split is why Liverpool can stay active without treating this as a done deal.

Arsenal are monitoring the situation too, although Metro also says their main focus is Morgan Rogers. So the Gunners are in the wider picture, but not yet the club pushing hardest on Barcola. PSG's €120million asking price is likely to keep this narrow, and Liverpool will have to decide whether to keep pressing on their Salah succession plan or move further down their list of alternatives.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →