The £116m star is now open to joining Liverpool

Liverpool like to do their business early in the transfer market, but making major changes in June would remain unlikely, with the World Cup disrupting preparations.

They were not idle, however. Liverpool have already shelled out £34.5m for Newcastle United to sign Victor Munoz, who joins from Osasuna and is thought to be big, fast and furious.

The Premier League was not a happy hunting ground for the Reds last season, at least they saved Champions League football after recording a fifth place finish.

But Arne Slot had to go, and the hope now is that Andoni Iraola's aggressive and forward tactics will pay dividends for a Liverpool team looking for their ability to challenge for the title.

Munoz is talented, but he won't lead a comeback. It may be Yan Diomande, but the Ivory Coast international has expressed his desire to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Missing out on Diomande is a bummer, but he's not the only high-profile striker on FSG's radar.

The World Cup star wants to join Liverpool

The chances of Diomande signing for Liverpool at the end of the summer may be slim, but this should not hamper Liverpool's transfer plans.

While Liverpool have shown they can pull off a statement signing, they bought Newcastle United's Alexander Isak for a British record fee of £125m last year, and now that Mohamed Salah has left the club on a free transfer, sporting director Richard Hughes will need to pull a similar trick out of the bag.

Easier said than done, but Liverpool must be buoyed by the World Cup star's interest in taking the job at Anfield.

That's according to the Daily Mail, which reveals that Liverpool are interested in signing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with the 23-year-old's future at the Parc des Princes in doubt.

This is, of course, common knowledge, but it is interesting to note that the powerful French striker is interested in taking the job at Anfield, willing to listen to what the likes of the Reds and Arsenal have to say.

The Les Bleus star is one of the most exciting wingers in the world, but he is not getting the minutes he wants in Luis Enrique's senior team. However, he could cost Liverpool around £116m.

Why Barcola could be Liverpool's next version of Isak

Liverpool signed a number of first-class players last summer, but they did not come together under the wing of Slot. The Dutchman had worked wonders last year, and now is the time for precision in the transfer market.

But you don't score 34 goals and provide 28 assists in two seasons for PSG's elite club without showing world-class power, and indeed, commentator and Como scout Ben Mattinson hailed him as “one of the best left-backs in the world”.

Barcola dances when the ball is at his feet. For him, football is an art, something to be respected and done with grace and beauty. He's also fearless when he's on his A-game, although it has to be said that Barcola needs to deepen his sense of execution in front of goal.

If Iraola can lift his game – as he did for Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth, for example – then Barcola could be the big-money player Liverpool thought they were getting with Isak, a world-class striker who scored just three goals in a disastrous 2025/26 season.

Isak, 27, will be expected to bounce back, while Barcola is expected to hit the ground running in a system that will be sharper and more polished than the Liverpool fans watched last year.

He is versatile and flows freely up front, and Barcola has shown for club and country that he has the innate ability to produce loud moments in danger. If he can sustain those moments and repeat them, Liverpool will secure a new talisman to compete with the likes of Isak.

If France win the World Cup this year, Barcola will be playing a big part in that success, having won back-to-back Champions Leagues and excelling for his country with one of the biggest teams of their time.

Barcola is by no means the finished article, but he has the potential to be a star at Anfield, and with him coming for a fee in excess of £100m when Liverpool needed a talisman, he could echo the signing of Isak one year ago, hopefully with a more emphatic effect.