Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s stance revealed as Liverpool submit £98.5m Bradley Barcola bid
Liverpool are finally ramping up their summer business, with Andoni Iraola’s making a surprise loan swoop for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo before turning their attention back to the club’s long-standing pursuit of Bradley Barcola.
Liverpool agree Ronald Araujo loan signing
Liverpool’s defensive crisis has been eased by the stunning arrival of Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, a deal announced late on Friday night by Fabrizio Romano despite no prior links to the player.
The verbal agreement was struck club-to-club and swiftly signed off by Barcelona director Deco, with Romano declaring what he called a “surprise bomba” in yet another reminder that Liverpool’s recruitment team do their best work in silence. FSG transfer guru Michael Edwards was famous for landing deals seemingly out of nowhere during his first spell at the club, with their deal to sign Brazil midfielder Fabinho from Monaco in 2018 announced almost as quickly as it emerged.
The latest move addresses a problem that had been growing all preseason. With Ibrahima Konate having left for Real Madrid on a free transfer and captain Virgil van Dijk having played almost every minute for club and country over the last year, Iraola had been left short at the back, while Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet all continue to work their way back from injury.
|
Player |
Age |
Liverpool’s potential centre-back options 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Virgil van Dijk |
35 |
Only senior ever-present so far, lost long-time partner Konate to Real Madrid on a free |
|
Joe Gomez |
29 |
Has picked up a fresh knock this preseason, long history of fitness issues limiting his availability |
|
Giovanni Leoni |
19 |
Signed for £26m from Parma last summer, suffered ACL damage in his very first appearance |
|
Jeremy Jacquet |
21 |
£60m arrival from Rennes, dislocated his shoulder in February |
|
Ronald Araujo |
27 |
Barcelona captain, set to join on a season-long loan with an optional buy clause |
Araujo, who can operate at centre-back or right-back, arrives having fallen down Barcelona’s pecking order behind Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin, with Hansi Flick unable to offer him the regular football he craves. The move is a loan with a buy option rather than a permanent deal, with Liverpool covering his full salary for the season, and holding the right, but not the obligation, to make the move permanent for around €55m (£47m).
It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward addition for Iraola, who gets a 27-year-old with over 200 Barcelona appearances and World Cup experience with Uruguay, without committing to a permanent transfer fee up front.
Liverpool submit bid for Bradley Barcola
While Araujo deals with problems at the back, Liverpool’s priority up top remains unchanged, and Saturday’s print edition of L’Equipe carries the news Reds fans have been waiting for. According to the Parisien paper, Liverpool have now submitted a concrete offer worth an estimated €115million (£98.5m) for Barcola, marking the clearest sign yet of their intent to land the France international before the window closes.
The bid is unlikely to be accepted in its current form, with PSG holding out for a fee in excess of €150million (£128.5m) having previously insisted the 23-year-old wasn’t for sale at all. PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi’s stance has however softened since Barcola turned down a new contract at the Parc des Princes, with his current deal running until 2028.
Who is negotiating the deal?
- Sporting director Richard Hughes is leading Liverpool’s side of the negotiations
- PSG counterpart Luis Campos is demanding more money
- Barcola’s representative, Moussa Sissoko is leading the player’s side
- PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi is also directly involved
Barcola is understood to have already agreed personal terms with Liverpool, and multiple reports in France and England suggest Anfield remains his clear preference over any interest from Arsenal, who have also been credited with admiration for the winger.
Barcola enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 campaign as PSG won the Champions League and Ligue 1, contributing 17 goals and 14 assists across those two competitions, but found himself dropping down the pecking order for their repeat last season despite being their top league goalscorer with a tally of 11.
|
Liverpool’s potential winger options |
Preferred side |
Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Cody Gakpo |
Left/Centre |
Wanted by Tottenham, coming off a poor season |
|
Rio Ngumoha |
Left/Right |
17-year-old academy graduate, tipped for breakout year |
|
Victor Munoz |
Left/Right |
£34m signing from Spain’s World Cup-winning squad |
|
Federico Chiesa |
Right |
Fighting for his future, could be used as backup striker |
|
Bradley Barcola |
Left |
Target of £98.5m bid, personal terms agreed |
Liverpool’s business out wide has been complicated by the free-transfer departure of Mohamed Salah, leaving Iraola with a young and relatively inexperienced group to call upon before any Barcola deal is finalised.
Cody Gakpo closing in on Tottenham move
That uncertainty over Cody Gakpo ties directly into the Barcola pursuit, and Tottenham’s hopes of landing the Dutchman may now hinge on Liverpool’s progress in Paris.
Spurs have already been extremely busy this summer, having invested over £200m in the likes of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, and are keen to add further to Roberto De Zerbi’s attack. Liverpool are said to be holding out for around £72million for Gakpo, having used Anthony Gordon’s £69million move to Barcelona as a benchmark figure.
Gakpo has four years remaining on his contract, giving Liverpool a strong negotiating hand, and reports suggest the Reds will not sanction a sale unless they can be confident a genuine upgrade is already through the door. Should the PSG deal advance, though, the pathway for Tottenham to finally get their man appears to be opening up.
