Liverpool Make €135m Bid for Bradley Barcola as PSG Lowers Price

Liverpool has submitted an improved €135m bid for Bradley Barcola as Paris Saint-Germain slashes its asking price, while Manchester City closes in on £85m target Ayyoub Bouaddi and Manchester United prepares for Marcus Rashford’s return ahead of the Premier League season.

The August transfer window enters its final stretch with a flurry of high-stakes negotiations across Europe. Major clubs are repositioning their squads just days before the Premier League season gets underway, triggering significant breakthroughs in long-running pursuits.

Liverpool Pursues Bradley Barcola After PSG Lowers Valuation

Liverpool’s pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola has gained serious momentum. Club-to-club talks are taking place on a daily basis after PSG indicated a willingness to lower their valuation by a substantial amount. The French club’s initial internal valuation hovered near €150m, while their public asking price had previously stood at a colossal €170m / £145m, a figure that proved troublesome for Andoni Iraola’s side.

Financial backing for the move has been bolstered after the boss of Amazon entered Liverpool’s capital structure. The Reds subsequently submitted an improved €135m bid to PSG. Rather than immediately dismissing the proposal, PSG executives are actively studying the offer.

The player’s stance has largely aligned with the Merseyside club’s ambitions, as personal terms are already in place. PSG manager Luis Enrique left Barcola out of the squad against Lens, making a significant statement regarding the winger’s immediate future while senior figures in Paris contemplate a lower fee to avoid a prolonged saga akin to Kylian Mbappe’s departure.

At the same time, PSG has secured several offensive additions this summer, bringing in World Cup champion Ferran Torres from Barcelona for £42m and youngster Mika Godts from Ajax for £48m alongside Maghnes Akliouche. That double acquisition effectively signals that Barcola will become expendable in the French capital.

Manchester City Targets Ayyoub Bouaddi as Rodri Departs for Barcelona

Manchester City is set to agree a fee for Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi following the decision to sell Rodri to Barcelona. Bouaddi impressed at the World Cup for Morocco, prompting City to step up their pursuit of the 18-year-old midfielder. Lille confirmed that talks were ongoing, though it would take at least £85m to secure the teenager.

Bradley Barcola Liverpool crest — Photo: Goal.com

“He’s still a Lille player. But any new signing, any new player, for sure as soon as they arrive it’s better. Because we’re going to start the Premier League in one week. If they start to work with us as soon as possible, it’s better if they can also understand the way we need to play.”
Enzo Maresca, Manchester City manager, via Independent

City’s midfield overhaul has been extensive this summer. The club already spent £116m on Elliot Anderson while arranging the departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadisah.

Marcus Rashford Returns at Manchester United Amid Uncertain Future

Marcus Rashford made his first appearance for Manchester United in 20 months during their final pre-season fixture against AC Milan. United manager Michael Carrick referred to Rashford as our player and expressed excitement about having him back ahead of the opening Premier League fixture against Hull City.

Liverpool Make €135m Bid for Bradley Barcola as PSG Lowers Price — Photo: Liverpool FC

United’s preference in May was to sell Rashford, who has two years remaining on his contract. Although Rashford favored staying at Barcelona following his loan spell, the Spanish club opted against exercising their option to buy.

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“Obviously the transfer window is still open. As players, we hope he stays because if he does, he is a big asset to have. He can improve us for sure. You saw when he came on, he threatened the backline really well. He could have ‌scored. He’s a huge threat. I’ve played with Marcus for numerous years and I know that playing against him and playing with him in training is going to help us.”
Harry Maguire, Manchester United defender, via Independent

Elsewhere in domestic movement, Nottingham Forest transferred striker Taiwo Awoniyi to Coventry City in a £17m move, complete with a guard of honour at the City Ground. Awoniyi scored 23 goals in 103 games for Forest but slipped behind Chris Wood and Igor Jesus in the team’s attacking pecking order.