Liverpool agree £123m deal for PSG's Barcola

Liverpool have agreed a deal worth up to £123m for Paris St-Germain forward Bradley Barcola.

PSG initially valued the France attacker at £145m, but the Reds have agreed a package worth an initial £106m with £17m in potential add-ons.

The 23-year-old is expected to have a medical this weekend before signing a long-term contract at Anfield.

Barcola is right footed but prefers to play on the left wing and his likely arrival creates further doubt around Cody Gakpo’s future at Anfield.

Multiple sources have told BBC Sport both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have shown interest in the Netherlands forward.

Liverpool are also in the market for a right winger, having explored moves for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr.

Barcola has become a main target for Liverpool as they look to bolster their attack following the departures of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah in the past two summers.

He moved to PSG from Lyon in 2023 for a reported £38.5m and has won three Ligue 1 titles, two Champions Leagues, the French Cup twice, as well as the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Intercontinental Cup.

Barcola, who scored three goals for France in this summer’s World Cup, can also play on the right or through the middle and could provide cover for Alexander Isak while Hugo Ekitike recovers from a serious Achilles injury.

Speaking before Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest (12:30 BST), Reds boss Andoni Iraola was asked about Gakpo’s future and said he “cannot guarantee anything”, but wants to keep the 27-year-old at the club.

“[Gakpo] has been very good since he came back from the World Cup and his holiday, with a very good attitude. I hope we can keep him at that level because I think he has been very influential in our games,” Iraola he said.

Barcola has been a priority for Liverpool since Yan Diomande opted to join Real Madrid earlier in the window. The Frenchman’s move to Anfield – for up to £123m – would be a record fee for a player leaving Ligue 1.

Barcola will bring star factor and inject real quality into a Liverpool attack that could become feared if last summer’s expensive signings Isak and Florian Wirtz can step up.

PSG can feasibly look at the deal as an excellent outcome, given they signed Barcola for £38m and will more than triple their money – if add-ons are met – for a player who is entering the last two years of his contract and has shown no willingness to sign an extension.

Barcola was often behind Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the wings in the biggest games last season and PSG have added to their options in those areas this summer by signing Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Godts.

However Liverpool will be pleased with the deal too, having held firm earlier in the summer in terms of meeting PSG’s valuation of £145m – but eventually bringing in one of Europe’s most exciting forwards.