Liverpool are confident of completing the signing of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain before the summer transfer window closes at 11pm on 1 September, with the winger left out of the squad for two consecutive matches.
Barcola and his entourage are not panicking about the length of negotiations between the two clubs, and it is said they remain confident that an agreement will be reached before the deadline. PSG have omitted the winger from their last two matchday squads, including the French Super Cup defeat to Lens, although he was photographed training the day before and attended the match.
Barcola has not been involved for a fortnight since being an unused substitute in the UEFA Super Cup win over Aston Villa. PSG's only remaining match before the transfer deadline is on Friday night against Lille.
Negotiations progress
All sides involved in the transfer negotiations appear hopeful that a switch to Anfield will be finalised during the final days of the summer window. The winger has been linked with the Reds in recent months, but the process has required patience as several critical elements still need to fall into place.
The initial considerations for Liverpool focused on a genuine willingness to pursue a deal. With Barcola entering the final two years of his contract at the Parc des Princes, he needed to signal his readiness to leave to force PSG into a decision. Once that became apparent, the French and European champions faced the question of whether a sale would best serve their interests in maximising the player's market value.
Liverpool then needed to establish themselves as the leading contenders to land Barcola, which happened swiftly, before PSG set about identifying replacements in the transfer market to bolster their own attacking ranks. Everything fell into place for the Reds, who then faced the most daunting hurdle of all: club-to-club negotiations.
Final bid expected
PSG placed a hefty price tag on the winger, creating a significant gap between the two clubs that needed to be closed before any deal could be struck. PSG knocked back initial bids as Liverpool looked to formalise their interest, with talks continuing deep into the final week of the transfer window.
According to a report from L'Equipe, Liverpool are readying a final bid for the winger that they are confident PSG will accept, following a narrowing of the valuation gap over recent weeks. It is understood that Barcola and his representatives are growing increasingly optimistic that a deal will be struck, with 'nobody in panic mode', despite the apparent lack of progress thus far.
There is an expectation that the transfer fee will exceed the Ligue Un record for a sale to a foreign club, surpassing both Ayyoub Bouaddi's impending switch to Manchester City this summer and Neymar's move to Al-Hilal in 2023. The exact final sum remains unclear, with those details to be finalised in the dying days of the summer transfer window.
Late transfer flurry
The deal would significantly strengthen Liverpool's attacking arsenal. This marks just one of multiple expected transactions in Liverpool's late transfer flurry, with attention still focused on Minteh to bolster the right-wing choices at Andoni Iraola's disposal. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo remains the subject of rumours regarding a potential exit, suggesting a frantic final week in the market for the Reds with substantial business to be completed both incoming and outgoing at the club.
