€115m Liverpool bid for Bradley Barcola confirmed as PSG cast Mbaye out
Liverpool have offered Paris Saint-Germain €115million (£98m) for Bradley Barcola, while the French giants have frozen out both the 23-year-old and fellow Reds target Ibrahim Mbaye, a report has revealed.
Liverpool want Barcola to become their new first-choice left winger, and they are also targeting Mbaye to bolster their right-wing options. Our friends at TEAMtalk confirmed on Monday that Andoni Iraola’s side have agreed personal terms with both attackers.
Reliable French reporter Fabrice Hawkins has since stated that a five-year contract is ready between Mbaye and Liverpool.
Fellow French source Foot01 claimed on Monday that Liverpool have increased their bid for Barcola to €135m (£115m), having opened negotiations with a €100m (£86m) proposal.
But TEAMtalk state that Liverpool’s latest, official offer for Barcola is worth €115m/£98m, rather than the €135m/£115m figure reported by Foot01.
PSG began talks by demanding £145m for the France international. However, they have since lowered his price tag to £125m.
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Liverpool are willing to go up to £120m to sign Barcola. The two clubs are getting closer in discussions, but there is still work to be done before a final agreement is reached.
TEAMtalk add that PSG have cast out Barcola and Mbaye, as they will not play the forwards while their futures remain unresolved.
Barcola and Mbaye both want to leave PSG for Liverpool to pick up more game time.
Ahead of PSG’s Trophee des Champions defeat to Lens on Sunday, manager Luis Enrique was asked about players who could leave the French capital, with Barcola and Mbaye currently the strongest candidates.
In a telling admission, Enrique said: “We are a very young, very ambitious team.
“It is important for us to make changes and look for players who enjoy playing our way and who love playing for PSG.
“That is very clear to us.
“When a player doesn’t want to come here, or doesn’t have a smile on their face about being here, it is better to find another solution.”
PSG want £43-50m for Mbaye, whereas Liverpool believe they can strike a deal for the lower price of £30m.
As such, Liverpool could snare Mbaye and Barcola in a potential £155m double deal.
Liverpool tipped to ‘get their man’
Liverpool reporter David Lynch has even suggested that Barcola to Anfield could soon be considered a ‘done deal’.
“The talks are ongoing. I wonder whether the next thing that we’ll hear about this is a kind of done deal, to be honest, because the talks have been going on for a while. Everybody knows what’s going on,” he said.
“PSG are willing sellers. Liverpool are willing buyers.”
Lynch added: “PSG have kind of fulfilled their end of the bargain, which is getting everybody in that they needed to replace. Key to anything: Barcola wants Liverpool.”
The journalist continued: “I’ve never really had any big worries about this deal, really. It just feels like this is all pointing towards Liverpool eventually getting the man.”
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