Liverpool Target PSG's Barcola as Backup Plan to Leipzig's Diomande

Liverpool are preparing a Plan B in their pursuit of fresh attacking talent, with multiple sources confirming that Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola sits firmly on their radar should moves for RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande fall flat.

The 19-year-old Ivorian has become Jurgen Klopp's successor's top priority on the wing, earmarked as the ideal long-term successor to Mohamed Salah. Diomande has signalled his willingness to depart Leipzig after just one season, though the German club's astronomical asking price remains the sticking point. Leipzig are demanding around €100m—roughly £87m—though fresh reports from Germany suggest they're prepared to dig in even harder.

Should Liverpool baulk at that valuation, the consensus among leading transfer correspondents points firmly towards the French capital. If Diomande proves unattainable, Barcola is the man the Reds will pursue with considerable vigour.

Barcola: A Familiar Name Making a Comeback

Interestingly, Liverpool's interest in the PSG winger isn't entirely new. The connection surfaced last summer when the club were still chasing Newcastle United's Alexander Isak. Had the Magpies held firm, sources suggest Liverpool would have pivoted away from striker recruitment—having already secured Hugo Ekitike—and instead made a move for Barcola.

At that juncture, transfer authority Fabrizio Romano noted on X: "Liverpool consider Bradley Barcola as world class player but no bid or talks at this stage, focus remains on Isak now." The Reds ultimately got their man on Tyneside, rendering Barcola surplus to requirements at the time.

Now, with Salah's departure accelerating Liverpool's timeline, the 23-year-old Parisian is back in their crosshairs.

Multiple Sources Confirm Barcola Interest

The Times' Paul Joyce, widely regarded as Liverpool's most reliable correspondent, has reported: "RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande is among a number of wide players that have been assessed and the list is likely to include Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola also."

Matteo Morreto, who frequently collaborates with Romano at Marca, corroborated this, stating: "As for the attack, after deeming the signing of Michael Olise 'impossible', the Reds are now focusing their efforts on Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig) or Barcola (PSG) to bolster a winger position they consider vital for next season."

Why Barcola Could Actually Leave Paris

Securing Barcola won't come cheap. PSG are expected to demand approximately €100m before entertaining any departure, yet there's a compelling case for why such a deal might materialise.

Since joining PSG from Lyon in 2023, Barcola has accumulated 38 goals and 37 assists across 143 appearances while earning 18 caps for France. By any measure, those are impressive credentials. Yet here lies the paradox: despite his obvious quality, he rarely commands a regular starting berth in Paris.

Luis Enrique's front three of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele represents one of Europe's most formidable attacking units—a combination that has already delivered Champions League success and threatens to do so again. When fit, this trio occupies the attacking positions, leaving Barcola to frequent the bench.

During PSG's recent Champions League encounters—the quarter-final second leg against Liverpool and the semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich—Barcola found himself among the substitutes. That's the reality facing a genuinely talented player in a squad overloaded with elite attacking options.

At Anfield, by contrast, Barcola would walk into guaranteed starting football as he enters his prime years. For a player of his calibre, that prospect might prove sufficiently enticing to force PSG's hand, regardless of the fee involved.