Liverpool boldly swoop in on Newcastle’s transfer deal after spotting their next target, Bradley Barcola
Liverpool are reportedly set to swoop in on another Newcastle transfer after agreeing to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola. After a long summer of back-and-forth talks, Liverpool finally sealed the deal for the French international on Saturday, August 29.
Even though the two clubs initially disagreed on his value, Liverpool have now agreed to pay a package worth £106 million, with an extra £17 million in potential add-ons for the 23-year-old. Barcola will be Liverpool’s fifth new player under Iraola’s leadership. The 20-time champions have already welcomed center-backs Jeremy Jacquet, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Ronald Araujo (on loan), and Spanish winger Victor Munoz.
With the September 1 transfer deadline fast approaching, it looks like Liverpool still have more moves to make. According to Football365, they’re ready to step in on Newcastle United’s attempt to sign Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo. The 21-year-old is highly rated at St James’ Park, and the Telegraph says Newcastle is eager to wrap up the deal before the window closes.
Lille values the Belgium international at around £60 million. Their coach, Matthias Jaissle, is impressed by Fernandez-Pardo’s flexibility since he can play as a central striker or on the wings. Last season, the young player scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 41 games across all competitions for Lille.
Just like last summer when Liverpool hijacked Newcastle’s pursuit of Hugo Ekitike, it seems the Reds want to convince Fernandez-Pardo to join them instead. TEAMtalk reports that Liverpool have already made contact as they look to find a replacement for Cody Gakpo, who is linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
The report shares: “Liverpool has been tough on selling Gakpo but are now open to letting him go—only if they can bring in another forward after signing Barcola. They are also interested in Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr and Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who Newcastle is chasing.”
Liverpool have also made two bids for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, but both were turned down. Meanwhile, winger Harvey Elliott seems ready to go on loan to La Liga side Valencia soon, and the Reds have lost out on Ibrahim Mbaye, who joined Aston Villa for £47 million.
Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Iraola didn’t rule out making more signings. He said: “The word is ‘ideally’—it’s the magic word. In the end, there are things we can do and things we don’t know if we can. Our priority has been to strengthen the wide areas. We still have four, five days left, and I’m sure if we can improve other areas, we will. But I don’t know how the market will end. I need to be patient like you. I want to know—it’s uncomfortable for me too. We’re dealing with uncertainty. But we have to wait a few days, and then we’ll know what we have and can make proper plans.”