Liverpool's Pursuit of Barcola and Diaz: Rebuilding the Right Flank
Liverpool’s post-Salah rebuild is beginning to take shape, and the picture on the right flank is becoming clear: Bradley Barcola sits at the top of the list – but Brahim Diaz is waiting in the wings if that pursuit stalls.
Barcola the headline act
With Mohamed Salah gone at the end of last season, Fenway Sports Group have identified a new, elite right-winger as a priority signing, despite Victor Munoz arriving from Osasuna. The plan is bold. The plan starts with Barcola.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger has emerged as Liverpool’s first-choice target, and crucially, he is understood to be open to the move. After starring for France at the 2026 World Cup, his stock has soared, and he has made his stance clear in Paris: he will not sign a new contract.
TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey has described Barcola as “Liverpool’s top target, there is no doubt about that,” outlining just how heavily the recruitment team have pivoted towards the 21-year-old after previously focusing their efforts on Yan Diomande.
Liverpool know exactly what they are dealing with. PSG are said to have placed a £145 million price tag on Barcola, a figure that reflects both his potential and the reality of a market where Europe’s top young forwards are scarce and fiercely protected.
The winger has, according to Bailey, reiterated to PSG in the past week that he has no intention of extending his deal. That stance could eventually push the French champions towards a decision: cash in or risk losing control of the situation.
Liverpool are readying their move. They want the deal done for significantly less than PSG’s valuation and, ideally, below the British-record £125 million they paid for Alexander Isak. Whether that level of negotiation will satisfy PSG is uncertain, particularly with Arsenal still firmly in the race.
Brahim Diaz waits in the shadows
Liverpool, though, are not gambling everything on Barcola. Behind the marquee pursuit sits a list of alternatives – and one of the most intriguing is Brahim Diaz.
The Real Madrid winger, formerly of Manchester City, is under contract at the Bernabeu until 2027. A Morocco international, he naturally operates from the right but offers the versatility to play as an attacking midfielder or off the left, the kind of tactical flexibility Liverpool’s hierarchy have long valued.
His problem is not talent. It is traffic.
Under Jose Mourinho, and with Madrid set to sign Diomande from RB Leipzig, Diaz faces a fight for minutes. Diomande is being brought in to play on the right, with Kylian Mbappe expected to lead the line and Vinicius Junior locked in on the left. That attacking trident leaves little room for Diaz to become a regular starter.
The knock-on effect of Diomande’s arrival stretches beyond one player. TEAMtalk reported over the weekend that Liverpool have also made contact with the camp of Vinicius Junior, who, like Diaz, is out of contract next summer. The situation in Madrid’s forward line is fluid, and Liverpool are watching closely.
For the right flank specifically, Bailey reports that Diaz is among the names on Liverpool’s list. The club have already explored his situation before, along with those of Arda Guler and Endrick, and sources have indicated that all three could see their futures revisited if Madrid receive suitable offers once Diomande comes through the door.
So the strategy is layered. Barcola remains the statement target, the one Liverpool want above all others. But if PSG hold firm on their price, or if Arsenal steal a march, Liverpool are positioning themselves to pivot quickly.
In a summer defined by the need to replace Salah’s goals, creativity and aura, the question is no longer whether Liverpool will act. It is which of Europe’s brightest young forwards will be wearing red when the window closes.
