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.
ANFIELD EXIT SIGNS: WHY SALAH’S FOREST FRUSTRATION SUGGESTS HIS LIVERPOOL CHAPTER IS FINALLY CLOSING
Anfield tension: Discover why Mohamed Salah was subbed for Rio Ngumoha and how his 9-game drought threatens Liverpool's top four.
Mohamed Salah just hasn’t looked like himself this season at Liverpool. Against Nottingham Forest, you could see his frustration all over his face.
Not long ago, things seemed to be turning around for him. Salah had started scoring again. In his last five games, he picked up four assists and a goal. It looked like maybe he was back.
But in the Forest game, Liverpool actually looked sharper after Salah went off and Rio Ngumoha came on. Ngumoha brought so much energy that he changed the whole vibe of the attack. Salah clearly wasn’t happy about getting subbed, even though it was the right call from Arne Slot.
Let’s be honest, who looks pleased when they get taken off? It always kicks off a load of speculation, with people watching for every tiny sign that something’s wrong, over-analysing every shrug or frown. But really, Salah just looked disappointed in his own performance and in the fact that Liverpool were still level with Forest. It probably wasn’t just about getting hooked.
Still, even with Salah’s recent improvement, it feels like his time at Anfield is winding down. It’s rare for a player to leave on a high note. The rumours about MLS and Saudi Arabia aren’t going away, and you get the sense he won’t be any different.
On BBC Five Live, Clinton Morrison didn’t hold back. He said if Salah and Liverpool keep playing like this, forget about the Champions League. “There are still some big problems there, aren’t there?” he told Rick Edwards. “Salah didn’t look happy again.”
Edwards agreed, saying, “If Liverpool play like that for the rest of the season, they’re not getting Champions League. And Salah didn’t look happy again, did he?”
Morrison pointed out how lively Ngumoha was when he came on, setting up a disallowed goal and sparking the team. “Salah didn’t do any of that at all,” he said.
Edwards pressed on, “I think there’s still a big issue there, isn’t there?”
Morrison agreed. “Yeah, well, he hasn’t scored in nine Premier League matches now. It’s his longest run without a goal. I don’t think things are harmonious behind the scenes between him and Arne Slot. We saw hints of it before Christmas, with that ‘throw me under the bus’ comment and then the apology. He looked grumpy about being subbed, but if you’re playing badly, you’re going to get subbed. That’s just how it goes.”
WHY BAYERN BELIEVE LIVERPOOL ALREADY SECURED A PERSONAL DEAL WITH YAN DIOMANDE
Football news: Diomande to Liverpool. Get the report on Leipzig’s price tag and Bayern’s secret plan for Gakpo.
Bayern Munich think Yan Diomande already has a deal lined up with Liverpool for a summer move to Anfield, at least according to recent reports.
Liverpool wants Diomand,e too. They see him as the perfect long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah. Their manager, Arne Slot, and sporting director, Richard Hughes, are both on board with the idea. Fraser Fletcher from TEAMtalk broke the news back in December 2025, and he’s usually reliable.
But it won’t be cheap. Sources say RB Leipzig want at least €100 million for Diomande. The 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger only joined Leipzig from Leganes last summer, so they’re not in a rush to sell.
Bayern are definitely interested, but word out of Munich is they’re convinced Liverpool already have something agreed with the player. That info comes from Bayern Space, a well-followed and respected account on X. They’ve got 32,500 followers, and even journalists like Lewis Steele from The Daily Mail trust their updates.
Here’s where things get interesting. Bayern Space doubled down on their Diomande claims, but they also say Bayern have turned their attention to Cody Gakpo as Plan B for the left wing. Apparently, some inside the club believe Gakpo could really thrive in the Bundesliga, similar to what Luis Díaz has done. And now, some of Bayern’s board members are starting to think the Premier League club with a personal agreement for Diomande has to be Liverpool. They don’t have concrete proof, just a strong feeling based on what they’re hearing from people close to Gakpo’s camp.
The irony? If Bayern spend up to £65 million to sign Gakpo from Liverpool, they’d basically be handing Liverpool the money to buy Diomande, the very player who turned them down in the first place. That’s how quickly things can flip at the top of the transfer market. Some people at Bayern say they’d be fine with it if Gakpo delivers right away on the pitch.
But what are Liverpool’s plans for Gakpo? That’s still up for debate. Bayern Space is adamant Bayern want him, but Pete O’Rourke from Football Insider says the German club aren’t planning to go after the Dutch forward.
O’Rourke thinks Liverpool could sell Gakpo this summer, but he’s not convinced Bayern will be the buyers. He points out that last summer, Bayern had to choose between Gakpo and Díaz for the left wing; they went with Díaz, and it’s worked out great. Díaz has settled in quickly and become a key player for Vincent Kompany’s team, basically locking down that left side.
Gakpo’s versatile; he can play anywhere up front, so you can see why Bayern would keep tabs on him. But O’Rourke doesn't think he’s a top priority for them at the moment. And Liverpool aren’t desperate to sell either, especially since they’re a bit short on left-sided attackers.
If Liverpool do sign another left winger this summer, maybe that could open the door for Gakpo to leave. But he’s under contract until 2030, and, by all accounts, he’s happy at Liverpool even if he gets some criticism from fans for his performances. Arne Slot clearly rates him, since he keeps giving him game time.