EXCL: Liverpool bump 3 G/A World Cup star Bradley Barcola to the top of their transfer target list | OneFootball

As promised, myself and our team here at CaughtOffside have done some digging to provide you with an update on Bradley Barcola’s future.

This is a slightly delicate situation, with mixed messages doing the rounds in the media at the moment as Liverpool and Arsenal are the main clubs linked with the Paris Saint-Germain and France winger.

Nothing is likely to be resolved imminently due to Barcola’s participation at the World Cup with France, but the player himself has spoken publicly to suggest his future is open and something he’ll consider after the tournament.

As for Liverpool and Arsenal, here’s what we know so far based on our conversations with some well-connected figures in the agents industry…

Bradley Barcola tops Liverpool list of targets

The Liverpool links are concrete. He’s now very much top of their list of targets due to Yan Diomande being out of reach. The RB Leipzig winger’s likely arrival at PSG has also very clearly opened this door.

“Liverpool plan to go all in for Barcola,” one source said. “There are other targets too, because it won’t be easy to convince PSG, but Barcola is the one they want. Their recruitment team have done their homework on him and this is likely to accelerate after the World Cup.”

“Liverpool love Barcola and they’re ready to invest in a top winger,” another source said. “It’s true that PSG would rather keep him, though. I can’t say for sure right now if they’ll let him go for a price Liverpool or anyone else would find reasonable.”

As previously revealed here, Liverpool also like Said El Mala, while Matias Fernandez-Pardo is another name to watch out for, I’m told.

Arsenal are focusing on Morgan Rogers

As for Arsenal, there is also an appreciation for Barcola, but it’s not as strong. Their top target is widely known to be Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.

The England international is also fully sold on Mikel Arteta’s project. He wants to join and has made the Gunners his priority. That’s far from being the case with Barcola, even if he’s signalled he’s open to considering his future.

My suspicion is that LFC are ahead in the Barcola race, even if it’s not that advanced yet. Whether this is why Arsenal decided to focus on Rogers instead is not clear – most sources close to the north London giants will insist the Villa man was always their preference anyway.

Barcola looks like he could be a fine fit for a number of top clubs, and has shone at this summer’s World Cup with two goals and one assist for France so far.