Liverpool Transfer News: Bradley Barcola Takes Priority as Ibrahim Mbaye Price Raises Doubts
Liverpool’s late-window plans in the winger market are coming into sharper focus, with Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye both discussed internally, but not on equal footing. Credit to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel for the original update, which points to a significant financial gap between admiration and action.
The central detail is the scale of the outlay required. Paris Saint-Germain are understood to value any combined move for Barcola and Mbaye at close to €200m, which converts to roughly £170.9m. For Liverpool, that frames the discussion immediately. Even in a market where elite attackers command premium fees, that is a package which would force any club into difficult choices.
Barcola transfer leads Liverpool thinking
The clearest takeaway is that Barcola appears to be the priority target. Liverpool have tracked a high-end winger profile throughout the window, and the France international fits that brief. He is further along in his development, has already produced on major European nights, and arrives with the type of pedigree that justifies a major investment.
Mbaye, by contrast, looks more complicated. There has been contact, and his representatives have been spoken to, but the current asking price is viewed as excessive for a player still at the earlier stage of his career. Romano said: “Liverpool spoke with the agent of [Mbaye] for several days, but my information is that as of today, Paris Saint-Germain believe that signing Barcola and Mbaye means basically spending almost €200m. It would be a crazy package to spend on two players.
“At the moment, my understanding is that Liverpool’s plan is to sign two wingers by the end of the window, especially if Cody Gakpo goes to Tottenham, because there is a possibility to see Gakpo going to Tottenham.
“If Gakpo goes to Tottenham and Liverpool sign Barcola, there is space for one more winger. Liverpool could sign two wingers from now to the end of the window, if Cody Gakpo goes to Tottenham. That’s the point.
“On Ibrahim Mbaye, Liverpool spoke with Jorge Mendes, the agent of the player, but at the moment the price named by PSG for Ibrahim Mbaye is considered too expensive. That’s why the Mbaye situation remains not clear yet.”
Photo: IMAGO
Cody Gakpo future could shape winger plans
That mention of Cody Gakpo is important. Liverpool’s recruitment team may yet need to react to movement rather than dictate it. If Tottenham advance seriously and Gakpo departs, the case for adding two wide players becomes obvious. Without that exit, the emphasis may remain on one major addition rather than two.
It also suggests Liverpool are trying to preserve flexibility. Committing heavily to Barcola while resisting PSG’s valuation on Mbaye would be consistent with a club trying to add elite quality without overloading the budget on a secondary deal. In that sense, this feels less like a withdrawal from Mbaye and more like a pause unless market conditions change.
PSG stance leaves room for late-window movement
PSG’s position is another factor worth watching. When a selling club does not close the door entirely, negotiation space can develop in the final weeks. Barcola’s name has lingered around Liverpool for a reason, and there is a growing sense that if the numbers become workable, the deal has a chance.
From Liverpool’s perspective, the logic is straightforward. Barcola is the headline option, Mbaye is attractive but expensive, and Gakpo’s situation could alter the whole structure of the plan. For now, the market points towards one big push rather than a £170m double raid.
Our View
From a Liverpool point of view, this feels like the right approach. If the club are going to spend huge money, it has to be on the player who clearly upgrades the first-choice side straight away, and Barcola looks like that profile. He has the pace, the final-third quality and the top-level experience to come in and make a difference under Andoni Iraola.
Mbaye is clearly talented, but this is where supporters want to see discipline. Paying a premium for potential can work, but only when the wider squad is already settled and the finances allow it. Liverpool are still shaping the next phase of this team, so it makes sense to go hardest for the player who feels closest to certain.
The Gakpo angle is the one that adds a bit of tension. Most fans would rather keep him unless the offer is enormous, because depth across the forward line matters over a full season. If he stays and Barcola arrives, that suddenly gives Liverpool a much stronger set of options out wide. If he goes, then the club must replace both quality and numbers.
Either way, the encouraging part is that Liverpool appear to be targeting top-end attackers again. That ambition matters. Supporters will accept patience in negotiations if it ends with the right player walking through the door, and Barcola feels like the sort of signing that could genuinely lift the whole attack.