Liverpool Shift Focus to PSG Star Bradley Barcola After Yan Diomande Transfer Blow

Liverpool have been chasing the signature of a new forward player since the start of the transfer window, and following the previous rabbit hole pursuit of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, which has, at least for the moment, led to nothing but a dead end for the club.

So, attention has seemingly shifted amongst Liverpool's recruitment team, but they are running the risk of this being another meaningless chase for a player that could ultimately end up not happening this summer. 

Is The Pursuit Of Bradley Barcola Another Gamble For LFC?

PSG's Bradley Barcola has now been heavily reported as a player that Liverpool are interested in signing this summer, following an unsuccessful bid for Yan Diomande. PSG's stance on the French winger has been resolute - he isn't for sale, they don't need to sell the forward, and any deal would have to be in excess of £100 million.

So it is clear that a deal for Barcola would be an extremely difficult and costly one to make, but it has been made clear by James Pearce that Bradley Barcola is Liverpool's top target for the vacant right-wing position.

Furthermore, there has been a running theory that if PSG bring in their two main targets for the forward position this summer, it may leave Bradley Barcola surplus to requirements in Paris and open up a path for Liverpool to be able to strike a deal with the reigning Champions of Europe. 

The two targets that PSG have well documented are the previously mentioned Yan Diomande and Ligue 1 winger Maghes Akliouche, the latter of whom is someone Liverpool have also expressed an interest in.

Could Maghnes Akliouche Be A More Attainable Target For The Reds This Summer?

James Pearce goes on to say that should a deal for Bradley Barcola meet a similar end to the Yan Diomande one and not go any further than the current evident interest, one of the main alternatives that have been enquired about is Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche. 

Maghnes Akliouche, like Bradley Barcola, is a French international who was involved in his nation's fourth-placed finish at the 2026 World Cup; however, Akliouche only played a handful of minutes in the tournament. But he had impressed enough in his league season with Monaco to earn that call-up to the highly competitive French 26-man squad.

Last season, Akliouche played 43 games in all competitions for Monaco, scoring 7 times and registering 10 assists. This follows a couple of similar seasons before last, and it's for that reason that Maghnes Akliouche has caught the attention of clubs from around Europe. 

PSG have been seen as the frontrunners for his signature this summer and have already bid for the winger for around £34 million, but that bid was turned down by Monaco, who themselves value Akliouche at the £50 million mark.

If this reported valuation of Maghnes Akliouche is true, it would be a significantly cheaper deal than one for Bradley Barcola and possibly easier to get over the line compared to the PSG attacker.

Author's Verdict

The more high-profile and best-fitting signing out of the French duo mentioned is Bradley Barcola. His pace, flair, and ability to take a player on are something that Liverpool missed sorely last season and also something that an Andoni Iraola system needs to work at its best.

However, time is ticking in this summer's transfer window, and Liverpool needs to start making progress with more signings, following the sole signing so far this summer in Victor Munoz, and the Reds cannot afford to wait until late in the window to get a right winger in and risk a slow start to their new era under Andoni Iraola.