Liverpool Targets Barcola and Mbaye in Bold PSG Raid

Liverpool have pushed their chips to the middle of the table. Bradley Barcola is the prize, Ibrahim Mbaye the ambitious bonus, and Paris Saint-Germain know they suddenly hold two of the most coveted wingers in Europe.

After missing out on Yan Diomande – who chose PSG before Real Madrid swept in to hijack that deal – Liverpool have locked onto Barcola as their primary wide target. The 23-year-old wants Anfield. The promise of more minutes under new head coach Andoni Iraola has turned interest into intent.

PSG, reading the room, have already started to plan for life without him. Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Ajax talent Mika Godts are both on their radar as potential replacements, a clear sign in Paris that Barcola’s exit is no longer an abstract possibility but a scenario worth preparing for.

Liverpool raise the bid

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Monday that “official club-to-club talks” are underway between Liverpool and PSG for Barcola. Those talks opened with a gap you could drive a team bus through.

Liverpool’s first move: a €100m (£86m) proposal. Serious money, but not enough for PSG. The French champions set their stall out at a staggering €150m (£128.5m), a fee that would place Barcola among the most expensive wingers in history.

The Merseyside club have now gone again. According to BBC Sport, Liverpool have signalled they are prepared to climb to £100m (€117m) to get the transfer over the line. It is a significant escalation, and a clear message: they see Barcola not as a luxury addition, but as a cornerstone of their next attacking era.

The two sides are edging closer, yet the deal is not done. There is still negotiating to come, still a margin to close. What Liverpool do have in their favour is the player’s stance and the expectation that personal terms will not be a stumbling block once a fee is agreed.

If the clubs find common ground on the numbers, this one should move quickly.

A new-look wing pairing

Barcola is only half of the story. Liverpool are not just freshening up one flank; they are trying to redraw the entire picture.

Reliable French reporter Fabrice Hawkins has revealed that Liverpool have made contact with PSG over Ibrahim Mbaye, the 18-year-old winger who caught the eye with Senegal at the World Cup. While Barcola prefers to operate off the left, Mbaye is at his most dangerous from the right. Put together, the plan is obvious: reinforce both wings in one bold, coordinated raid.

On Tuesday night, Romano added another layer to the Mbaye pursuit. Liverpool, he reported, have already spoken to Mbaye’s new agent, Jorge Mendes. The teenager has offers from Bundesliga clubs, but is currently giving priority to the Liverpool project.

At one stage, a move to RB Leipzig was close. That collapsed when the Diomande-to-PSG deal fell apart, a domino effect that has now opened the door for Liverpool.

Talks, Romano said, will follow.

Liverpool have made their move. PSG have named their price. Barcola wants the minutes, Mbaye likes the project. Now the market will decide how far Anfield are prepared to go to reshape the future of their attack.