HIDDEN TARGET: WHY BRADLEY BARCOLA EMERGED AS LIVERPOOL’S TOP CHOICE AFTER THE SEMENYO SNUB
Liverpool rival Bayern for PSG star Bradley Barcola. See how the winger fits Arne Slot’s plans following Mo Salah’s recent outburst.
Liverpool is reportedly eyeing PSG winger Bradley Barcola as a possible signing.
PSG wants to lock Barcola into a new contract, especially with Liverpool showing interest. Since joining Lyon in 2023 for about £40 million, Barcola’s had a great run in Paris. He’s already won two Ligue 1 titles and helped PSG claim their first-ever Champions League trophy last season.
But here’s the thing: Barcola isn’t always in the starting lineup. With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia coming in and Desire Doue on the rise, Barcola sometimes finds himself on the bench. In PSG’s penalty shootout win over Marseille for the Trophée des Champions, Barcola only came on in the 72nd minute to replace Kvaratskhelia.
Still, he’s a real talent—five goals and four assists in 23 games this season isn’t bad at all.
Right now, RMC Sport says PSG has offered Barcola a new contract. His current deal runs until 2028, but his camp hasn’t given any response yet. PSG wants to know where he stands so they can make plans. According to RMC Sport, the club is preparing for anything and already has a shortlist of possible replacements if Barcola decides to leave. For now, though, he’s never actually said he wants out, even with Liverpool and Bayern Munich circling.
So, will Liverpool go for him? They probably want another winger this summer, especially since fans were surprised they didn’t push harder for Antoine Semenyo, who ended up at Man City for £65 million.
Barcola can play on either wing, which could tempt Liverpool. They need someone who can eventually step in for Mo Salah. Salah’s contract runs until 2027, but he’ll be 35 by then, and there are already questions about his future—especially after he claimed he’d been “thrown under a bus” following a 3-3 draw with Leeds. He lost his starting spot before heading to the African Cup of Nations with Egypt.
On the left, Liverpool could use more depth, too. Cody Gakpo is the only real senior option, and he’s had an up-and-down season.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”