Liverpool to sign Barcola for £120m
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The gist
Liverpool paid over £120m for Bradley Barcola from PSG in the 2026 summer window.
Six games in he has no goals or assists, and pundits question the fee.
Background
Liverpool had already broken the £100m mark twice in recent windows, signing Florian Wirtz (£116m) and Alexander Isak (£125m). Their move for Barcola came after a late, reportedly unsuccessful attempt to hijack Anthony Gordon's transfer to Barcelona. Barcola had impressed at PSG, contributing 42 goals and assists in 2024-25, but his start at Liverpool has been slow, with no goal contributions in his first six matches.
How it unfolded
- 2026 summerLiverpool signed Bradley Barcola from PSG for over £120m, part of a £364m trio with Wirtz and Isak.
- Oct 11, 2026Barcola had a poor performance against Man City at Anfield, completing no dribbles and managing only 15 passes.
- Oct 12, 2026Barcola said the main difference between Ligue 1 and the Premier League is the running required, and that he suffered cramps in his first games.
- Oct 13, 2026Paul Joyce reported Liverpool made a late attempt to hijack Barcelona's move for Anthony Gordon, but their £65m pursuit failed and they turned to Barcola.
- Oct 14, 2026Emmanuel Petit called Barcola overvalued, and Liverpool sat ninth in the Premier League after a 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- Emmanuel Petit said he would have paid £60m-£70m maximum for Barcola, calling the £120m fee over the odds and saying English clubs often overspend on overrated players.
- Analysts
- An observer said Liverpool need to rethink their recruitment model, accusing it of having 'more misses than hits' and citing the decision to sign Barcola over Morgan Rogers.
- Party
- Barcola said the Premier League is less tactical than Ligue 1 and requires more running, which caused cramps in his first few games.
Still unverified
Liverpool's late attempt to hijack Barcelona's move for Anthony Gordon is described as 'fresh claims' and 'reportedly' unsuccessful.