Liverpool's First Offer for Barcola as Salah Successor

Liverpool are preparing to test Paris Saint-Germain’s resolve with an opening offer for Bradley Barcola, with the French winger emerging as the club’s preferred heir to Mohamed Salah, according to The Athletic.

At 23, Barcola has become the name at the top of Liverpool’s attacking shortlist. Those inside Anfield view him as the marquee piece for a new forward line, the player to step into the space left by Salah, who departed at the end of last season after defining an era on Merseyside.

Barcola, for his part, is understood to be keen on the move. He wants the Premier League, wants Anfield, and wants a central role at a major European club rather than being one of many stars in Paris.

PSG, though, are not in the mood to make this easy.

The French champions are said to be demanding close to €170m to even consider a sale. Liverpool, while ready to invest heavily, have no intention of going near that figure and are instead eyeing a deal closer to €120m — still a huge outlay, but one they believe better reflects both the market and the player’s situation.

That situation matters. Barcola’s contract at PSG runs until 2028, but he is reportedly reluctant to extend. Liverpool intend to lean on that reluctance, hoping that a firm stance from the player can drag the asking price down from the heights set in Paris.

The numbers from last season back up why both clubs are digging in. Barcola made 49 appearances for Les Rouge et Bleu in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists. In a squad stacked with attacking talent, he still carved out a significant role, hinting at a ceiling that appeals to Liverpool’s recruitment team.

This is not a simple opportunistic swoop. It is a calculated attempt to prise away a key asset from a club that does not need to sell, in a market where elite wide forwards are scarce and expensive.

Liverpool know they are walking into a negotiation with one of the toughest sellers in Europe. PSG know they are dealing with a club that rarely panics, even when replacing a legend.

Between those two positions sits Barcola, a 23-year-old winger who believes he is ready to lead the line for a giant of the European game. Whether that leap happens in red or remains on hold in Paris will now depend on how far each side is willing to bend — and how badly Liverpool want their new Salah.