The Dutch international has attracted serious interest from Tottenham Hotspur, while Manchester City have also been linked with the 27-year-old. Liverpool had previously appeared reluctant to consider selling him, but the situation has become increasingly complicated as the club pushes to rebuild its attacking options.
According to fresh reports, Liverpool and PSG are now engaged in renewed discussions over Barcola, who has been one of the club’s major attacking targets throughout the summer. The French champions had initially placed a much higher valuation on their winger, reportedly around £145million, but that figure has now fallen considerably, with a deal in the region of £115million being discussed.
If completed, the transfer would make Barcola one of the most expensive players in Liverpool’s history.
But the biggest question at Anfield is no longer simply whether Liverpool can sign Barcola.
It is whether they are prepared to let Gakpo go in order to make room for him.
And that is where this developing transfer saga could become one of the most extraordinary stories of the final days of the window.
A £145M PRICE TAG HAS SUDDENLY STARTED TO FALL
For much of the summer, Liverpool’s pursuit of Barcola looked like an extraordinarily expensive proposition.
PSG were understood to value the 23-year-old at around £145million, a figure that would have represented a formidable obstacle even for a Liverpool side that has been willing to spend heavily in recent transfer windows.
But the situation has changed.
Reports emerging today indicate that PSG’s valuation has dropped, with Liverpool now discussing a possible final package of approximately £115million.
That is still an enormous amount of money.
Yet compared with the earlier figure, it represents a significant reduction — and suddenly the deal looks far more achievable.
The Times reports that Liverpool have renewed negotiations with PSG and that the potential £115million transfer would make Barcola the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history.
That development is particularly significant because Liverpool have spent much of the summer trying to find a long-term solution to the enormous attacking hole left by Mohamed Salah.
Salah’s departure has changed the complexion of Liverpool’s forward line.
The Egyptian was not simply another winger.
He was a source of goals, assists, creativity, movement and fear.
Replacing that production was always going to be difficult.
And Liverpool’s recruitment team, led by sporting director Richard Hughes, have spent the summer examining several possibilities.
Victor Muñoz has already arrived from Osasuna, while the club have also explored moves for players including Yankuba Minteh and other attacking targets.
But Barcola is different.
He represents the kind of high-profile, long-term attacking investment that could become the centrepiece of Liverpool’s post-Salah era.
WHY BARCOLA HAS BECOME SO IMPORTANT
At just 23, Barcola fits the profile of player Liverpool can build around for years.
He possesses the explosive pace required to operate in the Premier League, the ability to attack defenders one-on-one and the versatility to play across the front line.
His emergence at PSG and international level has made him one of the most coveted young attacking players in Europe.
Liverpool’s interest is therefore understandable.
The club are not simply looking for someone who can survive on the right wing.
They are looking for a player capable of becoming a star.
Someone who can carry responsibility.
Someone who can become one of the faces of the next Liverpool team.
And that is precisely why the club appear willing to consider a figure approaching £115million.
There is, however, a major complication.
Liverpool already have Cody Gakpo.
And if Barcola arrives, the Dutchman’s future could suddenly become uncertain.
GAKPO: FROM IMPORTANT PLAYER TO POTENTIAL £70M DEPARTURE?
Gakpo’s situation is perhaps the most intriguing part of the entire story.
Only recently, Liverpool were believed to have little intention of selling him.
The Dutchman had enjoyed a strong start to the new campaign and remained an important attacking option.
Indeed, reports have suggested there has been internal hesitation over allowing him to leave because Liverpool’s squad is already short of established forwards.
The Guardian has also reported that Liverpool’s limited attacking depth makes a Gakpo departure difficult to envisage, despite interest from Tottenham and Manchester City.
But football transfers rarely remain simple.
And the arrival of Barcola could change the equation completely.
Liverpool are not simply negotiating for one new attacker.
They have been linked with several wide players.
If multiple deals are completed, the club could suddenly find themselves with too many players competing for similar positions — particularly if the hierarchy believes Barcola is capable of becoming the long-term first-choice option.
That is where Tottenham have entered the picture.
Spurs have been pushing for Gakpo, and reports have claimed the north London club have intensified their efforts as Liverpool continue negotiations for Barcola.
There have even been reports suggesting Gakpo is open to the move.
But that should not be confused with a completed transfer.
Far from it.
Liverpool still have to decide whether they actually want to sell him.
And that decision may ultimately depend on what happens with Barcola.
THE GAKPO-BARCOLA CONNECTION
This is the part of the story that has Liverpool supporters watching every new update.
One potential transfer could unlock another.
Liverpool could sign Barcola.
Tottenham could sign Gakpo.
And suddenly the club’s attacking structure would look dramatically different.
Reports have suggested Liverpool could value Gakpo at around £70million, meaning his departure would potentially provide a significant financial contribution toward the cost of Barcola.
That does not mean Liverpool would simply sell Gakpo to fund Barcola.
The finances of modern football transfers are far more complicated than that.
But there is an obvious sporting logic to the situation.
Barcola is younger.
He offers explosive pace and direct attacking ability.
He could be viewed as a long-term successor to Salah.
And if Liverpool believe he can become a superstar, the temptation to restructure the forward line around him would be enormous.
For Gakpo, however, the situation is far less comfortable.
He has already established himself at Liverpool.
He knows the league.
He understands the club.
And he has shown that he can score important goals.
Most recently, he was involved in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle, underlining why there is resistance to the idea of selling him.
Selling a proven Premier League performer while simultaneously spending £115million on another winger would therefore be a huge gamble.
TOTTENHAM ARE WAITING
Tottenham’s interest gives this story another layer.
Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs have been aggressively reshaping their squad and have already made major investments during the summer.
Gakpo would provide them with another versatile attacking option and, crucially, someone who already knows the Premier League.
Reports earlier this month claimed Tottenham had made an opening offer of more than £60million and that Gakpo had reached an agreement in principle on personal terms.
Those reports, however, have been followed by conflicting information.
Some sources have suggested Liverpool are reluctant to sanction a move, particularly because the club’s forward options are already limited.
That contradiction is important.
A player can be interested in joining another club.
A rival club can make an offer.
And Liverpool can still say no.
The final decision remains with the Anfield hierarchy.
That is why the Barcola negotiations could prove decisive.
If Liverpool complete the signing of the Frenchman — and potentially another attacker — the club’s willingness to listen to Tottenham could increase.
If Barcola fails to arrive, Gakpo’s importance could become even greater.
LIVERPOOL’S RACE AGAINST TIME
The timing could hardly be more dramatic.
The transfer window is approaching its conclusion, meaning Liverpool have little room for error.
The club have already encountered frustration in their pursuit of other attacking targets.
Brighton have reportedly rejected multiple approaches for Yankuba Minteh, with the Seagulls said to value the winger at around £80million. Liverpool have been reluctant to go that high.
There have also been reports of Liverpool exploring alternative options, including Crystal Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr, after their pursuit of Minteh became increasingly complicated.
That explains why Barcola remains so important.
Liverpool need quality.
They need pace.
They need goals.
And, above all, they need a convincing attacking solution after losing Salah.
Barcola potentially provides all three.
But the price is enormous.
And the consequences of getting the decision wrong could follow the club for years.
THE £115M GAMBLE
There is an argument that Liverpool simply cannot afford to hesitate.
If the club genuinely believe Barcola can become one of Europe’s elite forwards, £115million could eventually look like a bargain.
Transfer fees have exploded.
Liverpool themselves know this better than most.
The Premier League’s financial power has pushed elite players into extraordinary price brackets, and clubs increasingly have to pay huge sums for young attackers with genuine world-class potential.
Barcola fits that category.
But there is another side to the argument.
Liverpool could spend £115million on Barcola and then lose Gakpo.
That would mean replacing one established forward with another player who still has to adapt to English football.
And it would leave Liverpool with even greater pressure on Barcola to deliver immediately.
The club would therefore have to be absolutely convinced.
There would be no room for a slow transition.
No room for a season of adjustment.
At that price, supporters would expect goals.
They would expect assists.
They would expect match-winning performances.
And they would expect him to become one of the defining players of the new Liverpool era.
IRAOLA’S BIG DECISION
The situation also represents a major test for new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
Iraola inherited a squad undergoing a significant transformation.
The manager must decide not only which players he wants to sign, but which existing players fit his tactical vision.
Gakpo’s versatility makes him particularly useful.
He can operate from the left, play centrally and contribute in different attacking roles.
Barcola, meanwhile, offers a different kind of threat — speed, directness and the ability to stretch defensive lines.
For a manager who wants an aggressive, energetic attacking team, that combination could be devastating.
But it raises an obvious question:
Why sell Gakpo at all?
One possibility is that Liverpool want both.
Another is that the club could sign Barcola first and only then decide what happens with Gakpo.
That would give Iraola more options.
It would also prevent Liverpool from weakening themselves before securing a replacement.
Fabrizio Romano-related reporting has suggested Liverpool’s position could be linked to their ability to bring in additional attacking reinforcements before sanctioning a Gakpo departure.
That would make sense.
Liverpool cannot afford to sell first and hope to replace later.
A NEW ERA AFTER SALAH
There is also a bigger story here.
Liverpool are not simply negotiating a transfer.
They are deciding what the next era of the club is supposed to look like.
For years, Salah was the constant.
He was the player opponents feared most.
He was the player supporters expected to deliver.
Now he is gone.
That leaves Liverpool facing a question that every great club eventually has to answer:
Who comes next?
Barcola could be part of that answer.
The Frenchman is young enough to develop into a superstar and talented enough to make an immediate impact.
A £115million move would send a clear message.
Liverpool would not be attempting to replace Salah with a temporary solution.
They would be investing heavily in the future.
And if Gakpo then moved to Tottenham, the symbolic nature of the transfer window would be even greater.
One generation of Liverpool’s attack would effectively be closing.
Another would be beginning.
BUT NOTHING IS DONE YET
For all the excitement surrounding Barcola, Liverpool supporters should remember one crucial fact:
A negotiation is not a transfer.
Reports indicate renewed talks.
There are claims of a possible £115million agreement.
There is growing speculation that PSG are prepared to lower their original demands.
There is interest from Liverpool.
And there is a clear connection between Barcola’s potential arrival and Gakpo’s future.
But until contracts are signed and the clubs officially announce the moves, nothing should be treated as completed.
That is particularly important during the final days of a transfer window, when negotiations can change dramatically within hours.
A bid can be rejected.
A player can change his mind.
A club can demand more money.
Another team can enter the race.
And a deal that appeared almost certain can collapse overnight.
THE FINAL TWIST COULD INVOLVE GAKPO
For Liverpool supporters, however, the most fascinating possibility is no longer simply:
Will Bradley Barcola join Liverpool?
It is:
Will Cody Gakpo still be a Liverpool player when Barcola arrives?
That is the question now hanging over Anfield.
Tottenham are watching.
Manchester City have reportedly shown interest.
PSG appear increasingly open to negotiating over Barcola.
Liverpool are reportedly back at the table.
And somewhere in the middle of it all is Gakpo — a player who could either remain an important part of Iraola’s new Liverpool or become the unexpected piece sacrificed to make room for a £115million superstar.
If Liverpool complete the Barcola deal, the pressure on the club to make another decision will become enormous.
Keep Gakpo, and Liverpool could have one of the deepest attacking groups in the league.
Sell him, and they would be making a huge statement about Barcola’s importance.
Either way, the consequences will be significant.
Because this is no longer just another transfer rumour.
It is a decision about the identity of Liverpool’s attack after Salah.
And with the deadline approaching, the next few days could determine whether Anfield gets its new superstar…
or watches one of its existing stars walk through the exit door to make room for him.