Bradley Barcola is the winger both Liverpool and Arsenal have in their sights, but Paris Saint Germain are not moving cheaply. The clearest figure attached to the move is a valuation of around £145m, which makes this a difficult deal before either club even gets to squad planning. Liverpool also want something closer to under £100m plus add-ons, according to Football Insider.

The fee gap around Barcola

That gap is the whole story for now. Pete O'Rourke said PSG are holding out for around £120m, while Liverpool hope to land Barcola for under £100m plus add-ons, with incentives possibly taking it closer to the French club's number. Mirror reporting has also put PSG's asking price at around £145m, which shows just how wide the range is around the same player.

Barcola's form helps explain the interest. He has 8 appearances, 413 minutes and 3 goals in his current season sample, and his best recent showing in the last five matches is a 7.9 rating, including a goal in his latest outing. Liverpool are trying to replace that kind of wide output with a cleaner fit on the right, while still keeping the price in a range they can live with.

Arsenal's push to join the race

Arsenal's angle is more straightforward. Emmanuel Frimpong said the club should not stop after one big move, adding that they still need “a couple of wingers and a proper number eight.” He also said Barcola “would be very good for Arsenal.”

The same source says Arsenal are close to signing Bruno Guimarães for £80m from Newcastle United, which would already be a major summer addition. That makes Barcola a more ambitious extra swing rather than a replacement for the Brazilian move, but Frimpong's point is obvious enough: if Arsenal want to keep pushing, they need to keep attacking the market in the wide areas.

Liverpool's side of the debate is less romantic and more financial. Vladimir Smicer said he thinks they need “somebody special”, while also warning that important PSG players are not easy to prise away when the club is chasing the Champions League. That is the hard part of the Barcola chase, PSG know what they have, and they are pricing accordingly.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →