Liverpool’s pursuit of Bradley Barcola could be heading towards another dramatic development within the next 48 hours, with a respected online source making an intriguing claim about the Paris Saint-Germain winger.
The Reds are reportedly understood to have agreed personal terms with Barcola over a potential five-year contract at Anfield. However, Liverpool are yet to submit a financial offer capable of satisfying PSG, who are believed to value the 23-year-old at around £128 million, according to TEAMtalk.
PSG are preparing for their first competitive match of the new season when they face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night. However, Barcola’s involvement has suddenly become uncertain.
Barcola a doubt for Super Cup
A respected source on X claimed on Tuesday morning that Barcola could reportedly withdraw from the match at the last minute due to an alleged “illness”. The wording has raised eyebrows, particularly because the word “illness” was placed in quotation marks.
The report states that a final decision over Barcola’s availability will be made shortly and could go either way, with the official team news expected approximately 75 minutes before kick-off.
Liverpool transfer speculation could intensify
Barcola may genuinely be unwell, and if so, missing the Super Cup would be completely understandable. However, given the huge amount of speculation surrounding his future, any absence is likely to attract plenty of attention.
Reports have consistently suggested that the French winger is open to leaving Paris, while Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Barcola has given the “final green light” regarding personal terms for a potential transfer to Liverpool.
As a result, any last-minute withdrawal from PSG’s next match could inevitably increase speculation that the 23-year-old is edging closer to a move to Anfield.
There is, however, another potential obstacle for Liverpool. Data analyst Michael Reid explained via X that the Reds have reportedly reached their maximum quota of non-homegrown players following Ronald Araujo’s loan arrival from Barcelona.
That could mean Liverpool would need to offload a senior player before Barcola can be registered in Andoni Iraola’s squad.
With around three weeks still remaining in the transfer window, though, there is plenty of time for Liverpool to make the necessary changes and potentially complete both major departures and a blockbuster arrival.
