Liverpool target Bradley Barcola in potential £100m Salah replacement

Liverpool are preparing an opening bid for Bradley Barcola, the Paris Saint-Germain and France winger identified as the club’s primary option to replace Mohamed Salah. At 23, Barcola sits at the centre of a move that could push Liverpool into a third £100m-plus signing in the same window, after Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

The scale of the fee is what makes Barcola more than a simple replacement story. Liverpool have already shown a willingness to spend at the top end of the market, and a deal in the region of £100m would place fresh pressure on a player who would be expected to deliver immediately at Anfield. Reports have valued Barcola at anything from more than £116m to £145m, with one figure pushing it to about €170m, a spread that underlines how expensive PSG will make any negotiation.

Barcola’s appeal is his fit as much as his price. He is listed as a left winger who can also operate on the right or through the middle, a flexibility Liverpool need if they are to rebuild the attacking structure left altered by Salah’s departure at the end of last season. Sky Sports has described him as quick, strong, versatile and intelligent, qualities that point to a player who can stretch defences, attack space and switch roles without breaking the shape of the side.

The numbers around his career explain why the market has escalated. Barcola joined PSG from Lyon in 2023 for €50m and remains under contract until June 30, 2028. Capology puts his estimated gross fixed salary at €7.27m for the 2026-27 season, with €14.54m left on the deal, while FotMob lists his transfer value at €57.2m and a peak of €77.7m on July 31, 2024. Any move far above those figures would be a bet on ceiling, not just current value.

Barcola also carries recent tournament credibility, helping France reach the semi-finals at the 2026 World Cup. Liverpool’s interest comes as FSG has signalled it will keep investing when it believes the money puts the team in a position to win, a stance that fits a club trying to compete now rather than wait for a longer rebuild.