Liverpool have reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Bradley Barcola, with the French winger identified as the club's top target to replace Mohamed Salah. The deal, reported by The Athletic, is worth £120m, which would make the 23-year-old the second-most expensive player in Liverpool history, behind only Alexander Isak's £125m move last summer.
Iraola speaks on transfer plans
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday ahead of the Reds' clash against Nottingham Forest, Iraola refused to mention Barcola by name but acknowledged the club's interest in that position. "As you know, we are trying to sign in that position. We can't talk about players who right now aren't ours," he said. "But we are trying to improve and fill that position as we don't have the numbers. I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there."
The Liverpool boss also refused to rule out further incomings in other positions, as well as the possibility of player departures. "There are certain things we can but it's true we need players in the wide areas. I'm sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don't know how the market is going to finish. I have to be patient as well as you," he added.
Window closing soon
With less than five days remaining until the summer window shuts, Iraola explained via the Liverpool Echo: "Our players, I cannot guarantee anything about how many we are going to sign or whatever. Experience tells us that if there's an opportunity the last day you can do something. I don't know what's going to happen. Even I have to be patient. Then we get to 2nd September – this is who we have and the options we have; then we can start thinking."
He continued: "For now we don't know. I have in my head what I want. We've been talking since the beginning with the club; they know what we want. It's about closing the deals."
Barcola deal close
A deal to bring Barcola to Anfield is not yet complete, but is heading in the right direction following the agreement announced on Thursday morning. Sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon led talks with their PSG counterparts.
The potential arrival of the 23-year-old would immediately bolster the Reds' options across the frontline, which has been lacking due to Hugo Ekitike's Achilles injury and Salah's exit at the end of last season. Liverpool's attacking deficiencies were evident in their 2-2 draw against Newcastle in their Premier League season-opener, with Rio Ngumoha starting on the right wing after only a summer of learning the position and Lewis Koumas brought on in the second half to make his top-flight debut.
