Liverpool have identified Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye as key targets, while decisions loom over Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, as the transfer window closes in under a month. The Reds have made three signings so far, bringing Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo to Anfield for a combined £94.5million fee. However, the exits of Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate, along with Joe Gomez's injury, have left manager Andoni Iraola in a tough spot.
Winger Priority
Mohamed Salah has signed for Trabzonspor on a free transfer, and fans are desperate for more attacking depth. Iraola has been frank about his transfer desires, stating that a winger is a high priority. Speaking in July, the Liverpool boss said: "No, I think it’s difficult to say a number when the market is open, and you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad. There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players. A winger, for example – we definitely need to sign a winger."
Bradley Barcola is regarded as a target for Liverpool, but the club will likely need to cough up a huge amount of cash to secure his signature. The Echo understands the Reds opened initial discussions with the French international's team last month and received positive feedback regarding a possible move to Anfield. However, Paris Saint-Germain's £145 million price tag remains a major stumbling block.
PSG Duo Targeted
Liverpool are also weighing up a potential move for PSG's Ibrahim Mbaye, who has been tipped to leave France this summer. The 18-year-old made 30 appearances last season, making five goal contributions from just 11 starts. RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen had both registered their interest in the forward, but reports in France claim that he would prefer a move to Anfield instead. The pursuit of the Senegal international is thought to be separate from Liverpool's interest in his current teammate Barcola.
The attacker, who predominantly plays out at right wing, is reportedly valued at between £34.2m and £43m and would represent a cheap but effective option in a position the Reds desperately need to fill.
Elliott and Jones Decisions
Harvey Elliott has returned to Liverpool following a tough year on loan to Aston Villa where he barely featured. The midfielder racked up just 277 minutes in all competitions for the Birmingham outfit after Villa opted not to trigger the £35m release clause if Elliott made 10 appearances during his temporary spell. The 23-year-old is keen to put this year behind him and try to impress Iraola enough to remain in his side this season. Speaking after the Wrexham win in July, Elliott said: "I wanted to kind of go and explore something, come out of my comfort zone, that I thought personally that would take me on as a player again. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, but the way I see it is, that's last season now I'm here. It's kind of a second chance, if you want to call it. Especially with the gaffer and new coaching staff coming in. It's another chance to impress, and hopefully get in their (good) books."
In an ideal world, the Reds would opt to keep Elliott at the club and allow him to flourish under the new manager. However, with less than a year left on his current Liverpool contract, the club's hierarchy will be keen to avoid a similar situation to the ones that unravelled with Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold in recent times. If Iraola decides Elliott is unlikely to feature on a regular basis and a new deal also isn't on the cards, the Reds may feel that the most optimal decision would be to cut their losses and bank a fee now rather than allowing the talented star to leave for nothing next summer. Reports suggest that Leeds are interested in the midfielder, but contact is yet to be made regarding a transfer.
Curtis Jones is in a similar situation to Elliott with the option to stick with the club he supports or to head onto pastures new. Inter Milan have registered a strong interest in the midfielder and are willing to pay £30m for the 25-year-old's signature. Jones' absence against Monaco raised a few eyebrows, but Iraola was keen to confirm that it was an injury issue rather than transfer speculation. He said: "Curtis has trained every day, but yesterday (Saturday) he finished with some issues in the hip, but nothing big. It didn’t make any sense to risk him."
The midfielder is in the final year of his contract at Anfield, and while many fans don't want Jones to go, he could be on his way if Inter meet Liverpool's asking price. It is the same situation as with Elliott, where avoiding a repeat that could potentially see him leave for nothing, as happened with Konate and Robertson, will likely be preferable if an agreement on a new contract doesn't seem feasible.
