“There’s surely a limit” – Ian Doyle warns Liverpool not to pay ‘extortionate’ money for Barcola | OneFootball

Journalist Ian Doyle has implored Liverpool not to pay an ‘extortionate’ transfer fee for Bradley Barcola and has specified what he feels should be the maximum price for the Paris Saint-Germain winger.

The 23-year-old has been hotly linked with a move to Anfield through the summer and has reportedly reached an agreement on a five-year contract with the Reds, although the two clubs remain some distance apart on their respective valuations of the France international.

There were reports (denied by senior LFC figures) that an opening offer of €105m (£89.7m) plus add-ons was rejected by PSG, who’ve set an asking price of £128m for the forward (TEAMtalk).

Doyle warns Liverpool not to pay over the odds for Barcola

In an article for the Liverpool Echo assessing the potential Barcola transfer, Doyle warned the Merseyside club not to pay over the odds for the winger, even if Andoni Iraola’s squad could do with an elite addition on the right flank.

The journalist wrote: ‘The transfer market has clearly taken leave of its senses this summer, given the prices that Premier League clubs – and Real Madrid – are willing to pay for players who often are unproven at the very highest level.

‘At least Bradley Barcola, with two Champions League finals and several Ligue 1 titles under his belt, has sufficient experience at the cutting edge, even if he still has room for further growth as a player.

‘But there’s surely a limit, and while there are a number of players who have moved for extortionate amounts, Liverpool cannot allow themselves to fall into line in that regard.

‘Yes, they need a right winger – desperately so, in fact – but not at any cost, especially when there are other areas of the squad that are going to need major surgery over the next couple of windows.

‘Liverpool handing over £100m would be more than enough should they want the player that much. Evidently, Barcola is not averse to the move and would instantly become an important player.

‘PSG, however, are asking for way too much. There are other players out there – as Liverpool have shown many times in the past.’

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Liverpool left with a big dilemma regarding Barcola

The Anfield hierarchy are faced with an unenviable dilemma when it comes to a decision on Barcola.

If they adopt a ‘sign-at-all-costs’ approach, they might ultimately get their man, but that desperation won’t be lost on PSG, who could drag it out right up to the end of the transfer window and leverage a club-record outlay from Liverpool.

If the Reds refuse to go above their ceiling for the player, this long-running saga could end in anti-climax and a gaping hole in Iraola’s squad. Worse still, it may leave the door open for a rival suitor such as Arsenal to pounce, which’d compound the torment for the Merseysiders.

In our opinion, we can see Barcola ending up at Anfield eventually – even if it takes until the 1 September deadline, just like Alexander Isak’s move from Newcastle last year – and the two clubs compromising on a fee which sits somewhere between their respective valuations.

That’d probably take an eventual transfer beyond the £100m maximum that Doyle specified, but Liverpool may end up deeming it a price worth paying in order to address a gap in the squad and snap up an elite attacker who seems very much open to becoming a Red.