Bradley Barcola's former coach has revealed that the Paris Saint-Germain winger followed Liverpool as a youngster. The 23-year-old remains the Reds' top target after the departure of Mohamed Salah at the end of last season.
Former coach reveals Liverpool connection
Amaury Barlet, who worked with Barcola at Lyon's academy, said the France international supported the Reds during his time at his boyhood club. "He is still a very young player and has a huge amount of room for improvement," he told Redmen TV. "When he was younger, he followed Liverpool FC a lot. That club was always somewhere in the back of his mind."
Barlet first encountered Barcola when he began coaching at Olympique Lyonnais with the U12 and U13 age groups, while Barcola was playing with the U11s. "He was already a striker with a real instinct for goal," Barlet added.
Transfer fee and negotiations
The French champions are demanding in excess of £140million for Barcola, in a deal that would see the Premier League giants smash their transfer record, currently held by Alexander Isak's £125m move last summer.
However, it's a fee that Andoni Iraola's side are not willing to pay, with a compromise hoping to be made before the September 1 deadline. Reports have suggested that Barcola has made Anfield his preferred destination.
Player's style and potential role
Despite his penchant for finishing, it was Barcola's enjoyment of football and the creativity that shone through in his game that first struck Barlet. "He could score from so many different positions and in so many different ways spontaneously after a dribble, with acrobatic finishes, and sometimes in situations where you wouldn't necessarily expect a goal," he explained. "What struck me straight away was that he always loved playing football. He had that natural ability to create imbalance, to take players on, and above all, a real sense for scoring goals."
Barcola hasn't played in PSG's first two games of the season, their 2-1 win against Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup and their 1-0 defeat to Lens in the Trophee des Champions. Should he clinch a move to Merseyside, the winger will be utilised in his favoured left-wing role, while Rio Ngumoha is likely to play a prominent role on the opposite flank.
