David Ornstein cites ‘90%’ likelihood of Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola this week | OneFootball

David Ornstein has declared that he’s almost certain that Liverpool will sign Bradley Barcola before the summer transfer window closes next Tuesday.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger has been the Reds’ primary target over the past couple of months and has reportedly agreed personal terms on a potential move to Anfield, although a fee between the two clubs has proven to be a significant hurdle thus far.

Some outlets have reported that the Champions League holders have been holding out for a whopping £145m for the 23-year-old, although fresh reports from L’Equipe have indicated that the Ligue 1 giants could now be prepared to accept around £120m.

Ornstein gives Liverpool ‘very high’ chance of signing Barcola

Speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, Ornstein voiced his confidence that Liverpool will manage to get a deal for Barcola over the line, perhaps even with time to spare before next Tuesday’s deadline.

He said of the French winger: “He has emerged as Liverpool’s prime target for the wing positions. Let’s see if they can reach an agreement, because there’s been this price gap which hasn’t been bridged yet. I suspect it could well before the deadline, maybe even a few days before it.”

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

When podcast host Emma Paton asked the journalist to cite a percentage probability of the transfer materialising, he replied: “I would give that an 85%-90% chance. I think that’s gonna happen.

“I don’t think Liverpool would’ve come this far to walk away from it, and also PSG have recruited in the attacking positions. He wants to go to Liverpool; that’s his choice. I think a transaction will happen; the percentage is very high for me.”

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Barcola transfer now seems a matter of when and not if

When a journalist of Ornstein’s authority is specifying a probability of 85%-90% that a transfer will happen, then we can take it with confidence that the transaction is simply a matter of when and not if.

PSG were always going to dig their heels in and try to extract as high a fee as possible from Liverpool for Barcola, but in recognising his desire to leave the Parc des Princes and in signing three attackers in Maghnes Akliouche, Ferran Torres and Mika Godts, they now seem to have accepted the high likelihood of him leaving.

(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

We expect that the eventual fee will come in at somewhere around the £120m mark, which’d be narrowly short of the club-record £125m that the Reds invested in Alexander Isak 12 months ago, so at least the Frenchman wouldn’t have the psychological noose of being our most expensive player of all time in that event.

Barcola’s seemingly imminent arrival raises fresh questions over the future of Cody Gakpo, with journalist David Lynch hinting on social media that the Dutchman might well be a Tottenham Hotspur player by this time next week.

In our opinion, there is room for both wingers at the inn, particularly considering that Liverpool don’t have massive depth in their forward line and will soon have a regular diet of three matches in a week, which’ll inevitably take its toll on players’ fitness.

The dream scenario is that Barcola arrives in the next few days and we also manage to hold onto our number 18.