Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are holding key talks on August 25 in a bid to bring clarity over a proposed transfer for Bradley Barcola.The discussions are seen as an important step to establish a direction of travel on a potential move for the 23-year-old, who is committed to joining the Merseyside club.Earlier this summer Barcola emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace influential forward Mohamed Salah, who left the club at the end of the 2025-26 season.The Athletic reported on July 29 that the Premier League side were preparing an opening bid for the France international, as they looked to formalise their interest in him.Barcola, who has two years remaining on his current deal, had made it clear he does not want to sign a new deal with the European champions.PSG had indicated that they value Barcola at around £145million but Liverpool want to do a deal at closer to £100m, given the player’s contract situation and desire for a new challenge on Merseyside.Barcola made 49 appearances for the French side last season, contributing 13 goals and seven assists, playing an important role as they retained the Ligue 1 title and Champions League.Playing predominantly from the left wing but also able to operate on the opposite flank, Barcola was in direct competition with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue for minutes and his game-time in the latter stages of PSG’s Champions League run came from the bench.Barcola is a product of Lyon’s academy, and broke into the first team in the 2021-22 season. He recorded seven goals and 12 assists in 47 appearances before joining PSG in August 2023. He has gone on to make 152 appearances for the Paris club, scoring 39 times and providing 37 assists.He was named in Didier Deschamps’ 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, featuring in all eight France fixtures and scoring three times.What does this mean for Liverpool?Analysis by The Athletic’s Gregg EvansThe sooner this saga is resolved the better.Clearly Liverpool need a boost to their attacking ranks and Barcola is the one they’ve been waiting for all summer. He’s the wideman who could make a real difference with his direct and purposeful play.Liverpool need a forward who can strike fear into opponents and Barcola, with his skillset, ticks all the boxes.If a deal can be agreed, Iraola will also have another pacy winger he can turn to as he looks to impose a new front-foot style on the team. Supporters have been waiting all summer for something to get genuinely excited about, and this is the one they’re hanging their hopes on.If a deal cannot be agreed, Liverpool still need time to consider alternative options so drawing a line under this pursuit either way is important, because regardless of the outcome, the need for at least one new attacker is still essential and the clock is ticking.Aug 25, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms