Something has clearly happened in the back room here. And with something, read Andoni Iraola. Liverpool make a U-turn – bringing to life a transfer everyone thought was dead.
Liverpool face Newcastle away in their first game of the Premier League season on August 23.
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Iraola is not giving up – he has pointed out his man and is ready to go for gold. But everything can be decided by one other transition…
Finally, things can start to move at Anfield. Liverpool are considering resuming the pursuit of one of their main goals – a transfer most people had written off.
The summer transfer window has so far been surprisingly quiet for Liverpool. Despite promises of action and exciting newcomers, Andoni Iraola has only been able to strengthen the squad with two names so far: winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna, brought in for €40 million, and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, who arrived on loan at the end of the month.
But behind the scenes, they work too hard. Liverpool are desperately looking for an attacking player who can fill the void left by club legend Mohamed Salah, who left after the 2025/26 season.
The first choice is obvious: Bradley Barcola from PSG. Liverpool have gone all out to sign the Frenchman before the window closes on September 1 – but the price tag of a staggering £145 million has caused problems. The redshirts will not exceed 120 million, and the negotiations have stalled.
Therefore, Liverpool have been looking towards another PSG name: 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye. But first, it was said that the transfer was “called off” – PSG reportedly demanded around €50 million, which Liverpool reportedly thought was too much.
Now everything is turning.
According to L’Équipe’s journalist Loic Tanzi, Mbaye is still very relevant. In fact, Liverpool will make their first bid in a matter of days. How big the bid will be is not known – but the signal is clear: Liverpool want Mbaye, at all costs.
And Mbaye himself? He is said to be open to the transfer. If PSG accepts the bid, this could be a quick deal.
But what happens to Barcola?
If Liverpool secure Mbaye now, the question becomes: are they still chasing Barcola? The answer may depend on one man: Cody Gakpo.
The Dutchman has been heavily linked with Tottenham all summer, and rumour has it that Gakpo is interested – he has reportedly been told that he is not first choice under Iraola. Liverpool are said to be willing to let him go, but for £70 million – about double what they paid PSV for him in December 2022.
Gakpo has made 180 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 50 goals and providing 23 assists. He helped win the league in 2024/25 under Arne Slot.
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