Good news as £60m Bradley Barcola alternative forward says yes to Liverpool deal

Liverpool need to watch out.

Because Arsenal aren’t going away in this transfer battle over Bradley Barcola. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker - under contract until 2028 - is not going to play for Luis Enrique’s side again until his future is sorted out.

Barcola, 23, is believed to be open to a move to Anfield should the two clubs be able to come to terms. The sticking point is - and always has been - PSG’s valuation of the France international.

The two-time European champions want £145m for the winger - although there are signs that the fee may come down to around £120m in a final deal.

Nonetheless any dilly-dallying will result in a hijack from the Emirates. Mikel Arteta has got money burning a hole in his pocket after losing out on a deal for Vinicius Junior.

Arsenal are considering a transfer market assault for Barcola - which would leave Liverpool instead scrambling for other options. Mercifully it would appear that one Barcola alternative is very much receptive to a move to Merseyside.

Because transfer journalist Ben Jacobs is reporting that Ibrahim Mbaye has okayed a deal to move to Anfield.

"If they don't get Barcola, then we need to keep an eye on a combination of various names, some of which I've mentioned, and Ibrahim Mbaye has been on Liverpool's radar as well," he told the GIVEMESPORT newsletter.

"The price is a bit prohibitive there, as things stand, but the player would be open to a move if a club-to-club agreement was put in place."

Again PSG’s price tag is a thorny issue. Despite the Senegal international’s relative lack of experience his employers want around £60m for his signature. That is a hefty fee and a reason given for Liverpool walking back their interest last week.

But if it’s a case that Barcola cannot be secured then we could see the Reds move back in for Mbaye. Separately the 20-time champions of England are seeking to agree a deal for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh.

Talks are ongoing for the Gambia international - with Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes seeing bids worth £50m and £60m thrown in the Brighton bin last week. £70m would do the trick.

In an ideal world Liverpool would conclude business for both Minteh and Barcola as soon as possible. If that cannot be the case however they already have the consent of 18-year-old Mbaye to pursue a deal with PSG.