When the £120m deal goes through, Bradley Barcola will instantly break a Liverpool record, exciting Andoni Iraola.
Once Bradley Barcola joins Liverpool, he’ll immediately set an exciting new record in the current squad—a fact that will mean a lot to head coach Andoni Iraola. Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain have agreed in principle on signing the French winger for a total fee of £120 million.
While this won’t beat Liverpool’s highest-ever transfer fee of £125 million for Alexander Isak last year, it still shows big ambition as the transfer window nears its close. The Reds have been interested in the 23-year-old all summer, but PSG held firm on their €150 million (£128m) price.
Liverpool really need more options on the wings, something they knew even before Mohamed Salah left as a free agent. They did sign Osasuna’s Victor Munoz in July, but with Rio Ngumoha the only other natural winger, Barcola’s arrival will be a huge boost.
One of the best things Barcola brings is his speed. Last season in the Champions League, he was one of the fastest players, hitting a top speed of 36.7 km/h. That’s faster than anyone else in Liverpool’s squad, including Jeremie Frimpong, who reached 36.18 km/h in the Premier League.
In fact, only a handful of players in Europe’s top competitions ran faster last season—including some PSG teammates and a few Premier League stars like Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and Wolves’ Jackson Tchatchoua.
If Liverpool officially sign Barcola before the transfer deadline on Friday at noon, he could make his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday. More likely, though, he’ll get some game time in Liverpool’s away match at Ipswich Town on September 4.
Barcola hasn’t yet joined PSG’s pre-season matches because he took a break after the World Cup and then was unavailable while his future was being sorted. He also missed PSG’s opening Ligue 1 game against Rennes.
So, it might be a little while before Liverpool fans see Barcola play—possibly not until September 12, when Liverpool host Fulham at Anfield for their fourth Premier League game of the season.