PSG tell Liverpool outrageous Bradley Barcola transfer price as Chelsea cause problems

Liverpool’s pursuit of PSG star Bradley Barcola this summer has been complicated by Chelsea

Liverpool’s hunt for a Mohamed Salah successor appears to have led them to the door of French attacker, Bradley Barcola. The winger, who impressed at this summer’s World Cup, will not come cheap, however, with Chelsea inadvertently causing the Reds a major headache.

The 23-year-old’s club, Paris Saint-Germain, are reportedly demanding that any of Barcola’s potential suitors cough up a stunning £145 million for his services. Their reasoning for such a steep fee is in response to the astonishing amounts Chelsea paid for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers and Manchester City dished out for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson this summer.

According to French outlet Mercato, Barcola has indicated he wants to leave the reigning European champions. However, as the winger still has two years left on his contract, PSG believe that £140m is a fair reflection of his valuation, given his profile and the current market.

Rogers recently joined Stamford Bridge outfit Chelsea for £117m, a British record, while his England team-mate, Anderson, has moved to the Etihad Stadium for £116m. The French publication adds that talks between Barcola and PSG over a new deal have now ceased, and there are no further discussions between the two parties.

PSG’s price for Barcola would make him the third most expensive transfer in history. It would put him behind Neymar’s move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 for £200m and Kylian Mbappe’s switch from Monaco to the Parisian giants in the same year for £165m.

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Should Liverpool shell out such a sum, it would eclipse the £125m they paid Newcastle United for Alexander Isak last summer. The Reds, now under Andoni Iraola, have made just one signing so far this transfer window.

Spanish World Cup winner Victor Munoz arrived from Osasuna for £34.5m, but he remains their sole addition so far. Speaking at his first press conference as Liverpool’s new head coach, Iraola admitted that his side needed more players.

He said: “Obviously we’ve signed two players already but we need more players – we know this. The club is working on this.

“Me as a coach, selfishly, you want the players here (on) day one, ready to train from the pre-season, but we understand that football doesn’t work like this. I know the club is working hard to get those signings and I’m trying obviously to help also.”

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Barcola could prove a season-defining acquisition for the Reds. Heskey told BOYLE Sports: “Signing Bradley Barcola would be an amazing coup for Liverpool because he provides the pace and directness we’ve been missing on the left wing. We’ve been spoiled with Sadio Mané and Luis Díaz, and now we need Barcola to get the fans off their seats again.”

Former Man United and French forward Louis Saha believes Barcola possesses the qualities required to reach the pinnacle of the game.

Saha told Live Football Tickets: “Bradley Barcola is a terrific player. He has already won two Champions Leagues, and he could even win the World Cup over the next few weeks, his achievements for such a young player are staggering.

“He has enormous potential, and I’m not surprised Liverpool are looking at him. They need a replacement for Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo has looked uncomfortable at times for them out wide. Barcola could easily fill either of those positions.”

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