Liverpool Target Bradley Barcola as Bayern Munich Step Aside

Liverpool’s search for the heir to Mohamed Salah has zeroed in on Bradley Barcola – and the field is clearing for them.

The Premier League club have already moved once in the wide areas this summer, bringing in Spain international Victor Munoz from Osasuna. That deal, though, was never going to be the full stop on their attacking rebuild. Liverpool still want a headline act for the right flank, a player to grow into Salah’s shadow and then step out of it.

For weeks, RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande had been the preferred option. Liverpool went as far as lodging a bid. Then Real Madrid walked into the room. Diomande is now expected to head for the Bernabeu, forcing Liverpool to redraw their attacking blueprint.

The new name at the top of the list is Barcola. The Paris Saint-Germain winger is understood to be reluctant to sign fresh terms at the Parc des Princes and, crucially, open to a move to Anfield.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano set out the state of play on Friday. Talks are active between Liverpool, PSG and Barcola’s camp, with the deal hinging on one thing: the fee.

On the player side, there is no fight. Personal terms are not expected to be a stumbling block and Barcola is described as “very keen” on the switch, excited by the project Liverpool are putting in front of him. The club intend to bid and are confident an agreement with the winger will follow.

The tension lies in Paris. PSG want proper value for a forward they still regard as important, particularly after losing several attacking options already this summer. They also want time to secure replacements before sanctioning another exit. Liverpool, for their part, must decide how far they are prepared to push financially to get this done.

Nothing is described as imminent. Talk of a bid being “prepared” is not the central issue; the real battle is over the final number that will make PSG blink. This one could drag.

What Liverpool do know is that one major rival is falling away.

Reports in Germany had hinted that Bayern Munich might try to muscle in, but Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk has poured cold water on that idea. Bayern, he says, are watching the situation and have a long-standing interest in Barcola – they have been in touch with his representatives in each of the last two summers and checked in again this year.

Barcola, 23, sits on a Bayern shortlist and his contract, which runs to 2028 with no extension talks currently under way, makes him a fascinating long-term option. With every passing year, the lack of a new deal chips away at PSG’s leverage.

The problem for Bayern is the here and now. This summer, Falk reports, the left-sided winger is simply too expensive for them. For Liverpool, he is not. The English club, he says, are “closer” to the deal, driven on by Diomande’s expected move to Real Madrid and their urgent need for a high-level wide forward.

Bayern’s interest, then, shifts into the future. Their attacking plans are tied up with Michael Olise. He is staying put this summer, but his long-term situation is far from settled. If Olise does not sign a new contract and Bayern are eventually forced to sell, Barcola is viewed as the number one option to replace him.

That possibility only exists if Liverpool fail to close now. If the winger walks out at Anfield in red, Falk is clear: there is “no chance” for Bayern this summer. Their opportunity would come only if Barcola stays at PSG for another season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, stand at a familiar crossroads. They have identified their man. They know the player wants the move. The only question left is whether they are willing to pay the Paris price for the winger they believe can help define their post-Salah era.