Liverpool Pursue PSG Stars Barcola and Mbaye

Liverpool have stepped up their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, with fresh bids lodged for both players as the Premier League side push ahead with an ambitious late-window offensive.

The Anfield club have already moved aggressively in the market, strengthening the spine and the flanks of their squad. Centre-back Jeremy Jacquet has arrived from Stade Rennais for £55m, Victor Munoz has joined from Osasuna in a £34.5m deal, and Ronald Araujo has been secured on loan from Barcelona. Three big calls. None of them cheap. All of them designed to harden a side that wants to challenge on every front.

Now Liverpool are going after the next tier of targets – and they are going back to Paris to get them.

Liverpool keep pushing for Barcola

Barcola has been on Liverpool’s radar for months, and the chase has never really cooled. The club have been trying to close the gap between their own valuation and PSG’s, and transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has repeatedly underlined how serious the Merseysiders are about the France international.

Speaking on his YouTube channel last week, Romano stressed that Liverpool’s interest has remained constant, even when the narrative painted Barcola as “untouchable”. He said Liverpool are negotiating with PSG, that the financial agreement with the player is already in place, and that the two clubs are still “talking, exchanging messages and discussing” a deal.

“The deal is alive,” Romano insisted, with Liverpool still “trying for Barcola” despite a clear difference between what PSG want and what Liverpool are prepared to pay.

That tension on the valuation front is stark. PSG are understood to value Barcola at around £130m, a figure that would place him among the most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history by some distance.

Enrique’s pointed message and PSG stance

Luis Enrique has been careful with his words in public, but his recent comments have been interpreted as a clear hint at the situation surrounding Barcola.

Without naming the winger, the PSG head coach spoke over the weekend about the club needing players who are fully committed to the project.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

That line about “another solution” landed heavily, especially after Enrique left both Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye out of the squad for PSG’s Trophée des Champions defeat to Lens on Sunday. Asked about their omission, Enrique simply replied: “I’ll talk about the situation after the transfer window has passed.”

For a club of PSG’s stature, that kind of silence speaks loudly.

Double bid from Liverpool

Liverpool are not just circling Barcola. They have also moved for Mbaye, as they look to add another defensive option to complement their early summer business.

PSG are reportedly asking for £42m for Mbaye, taking the combined price tag for the duo to around £172m. That total could yet be the major stumbling block, even for a club with Liverpool’s resources and intent.

Despite that, a prominent X account with more than 700,000 followers and a self-described team of “five elite reporters” has claimed that Liverpool submitted new offers for both players on Monday evening.

“EXCLUSIVE: This evening around 5pm Liverpool Football Club drop a double bomb Fresh new bids for Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Sources say the Reds are confident the Barcola deal gets done. And they’re quietly hopeful the Mbaye bid lands too,” the account posted.

The message from those close to the negotiations is clear: Liverpool are pushing hard, and they believe Barcola is within reach. Mbaye is seen as a tougher deal, but not out of the question.

The question now is whether Liverpool are prepared to edge closer to PSG’s £172m combined valuation – and if they do, how much higher their ceiling really is in this window.