Bradley Barcola will be able to keep his promise of retaining his favourite shirt number after Liverpool secured an agreement with PSG to sign the winger. The Frenchman's long-awaited move to Anfield nears closer after a compromise was found between the two clubs.
£120m agreement reached
The September 1 deadline threatened the viability of the transfer, but Barcola now looks set to become the second-most expensive player in Liverpool history. According to The Athletic, the two clubs have agreed on a package valued at £120m, with £100m of the sum to be guaranteed.
While the deal has yet to be finalised, it presents the 23-year-old with the biggest challenge of his career and his first club venture outside of France. A move to Anfield will be new territory for Barcola, who'll have his international team-mates Hugo Ekitike and Jeremy Jacquet helping him settle.
Shirt number significance
Should Barcola complete his move to Anfield before the summer transfer window closes, he'll have the opportunity to wear his cherished No. 29 shirt. The 23-year-old presently sports the number for PSG and would be the first Liverpool player to don it since Arthur Melo during the 2022/23 campaign.
It carries particular importance to Barcola, who has previously outlined the story behind his affection for the number. Speaking to Club Legacyz, he said: "It's actually a funny story. When I was younger, I used to play FIFA. In the story mode with Alex Hunter, this number became symbolic for me.
"I thought to myself, 'The day I go pro, it'll be number 29.' And here I am, I adopted it, and now I'll never let it go." Yet Barcola could choose to take a fresh direction in keeping with a new chapter in his footballing journey.
Potential impact on squad
Having been identified as Liverpool's number one choice to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah, he could further cement that role by inheriting the iconic No. 11 shirt - left empty by Salah following his departure earlier this summer.
Barcola's potential move to Anfield could have significant implications for Cody Gakpo's future, which has remained uncertain throughout much of the transfer window. The Netherlands star got his campaign off to a promising start, netting in the Reds' 2-2 draw with Newcastle United last Sunday.
Gakpo has long been linked with a switch to Tottenham Hotspur and has more recently attracted interest from Manchester City. Should a deal for Barcola be finalised in the coming days, his Liverpool debut could come against Ipswich Town at Portman Road next Friday.
