Liverpool's pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola continues, with the transfer fee emerging as the main obstacle. PSG are reportedly holding out for £145m for the 23-year-old, while Liverpool hope a middle ground can be reached to complete the deal.
Carragher's midfield warning
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher has warned that Liverpool's midfield remains a significant problem. Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, the former Reds defender said: "The midfield for me is still a huge problem for Liverpool."
Carragher pointed to pre-season performances against Leeds and Monaco, noting that the space Liverpool conceded in midfield last season has not gone away. He also highlighted Dominik Szoboszlai's return to midfield, having played at right-back for part of last season, as a concern.
"That's only going to get bigger with the deployment of [Dominik] Szoboszlai in midfield. It looks like they're going to play him, rather than as a number 10, almost as a central midfield player alongside [Ryan] Gravenberch and that is just pure box-to-box," he added.
Barcola transfer standoff
With two weeks remaining in the summer transfer window, Liverpool have yet to bring in a direct successor to Mohamed Salah. New manager Andoni Iraola is under pressure to add attacking reinforcements.
PSG are closing in on deals for Mika Godts and Ferran Torres, which could open the door for Barcola's move to Anfield. Fabrizio Romano reported on his YouTube channel that the two clubs are in regular dialogue, with the financial side of the deal holding things up.
Personal terms with Barcola have reportedly been verbally agreed, with Liverpool his first choice. The winger was named among the substitutes but did not feature in PSG's UEFA Super Cup triumph over Aston Villa on Wednesday.
