Preliminary talks have been held, but progress has seemingly been hard to come by.
The insiders’ reveal follows a report from DaveOKCOP, a Liverpool-focussed site, which stated a preliminary agreement had been reached between the Reds and PSG. It was said that the French giants had accepted an initial €128million (£110m) with add-ons on top of that. However, Although, with PSG valuing Barcola at £145m, in addition to standing firm on their stance over the fee, it is making a deal difficult to complete at this stage.
The Reds have reportedly agreed personal terms with Barcola and are searching to find an agreement with PSG. And a report in French outlet L’Equipe says Liverpool will make an opening offer of €115million (£98.5m) to PSG for Barcola. That bid falls below PSG’s asking price and is expected to be rejected by the French club, but it serves to solidify Liverpool’s interest in signing the winger.
Arsenal still hold an interest in Barcola, but the Gunners are not willing to meet PSG’s £130million asking price for the French international. Furthermore, it is thought that the Gunners would merely be playing catch-up with Liverpool, who are far closer to agreeing personal terms with Barcola.
Barcola has been on the Reds' radar for multiple months now, with talks expected to ramp up in the coming weeks after he turned down a new contract at PSG. The 23-year-old has expressed a desire to explore a potential move to Anfield, with PSG also open to a sale, but they have set his initial asking price at around £120million.
Reporting: Evening Standard, TeamTalk, Football Insider, The Sun, Metro, Sky Sports, Mirror, Daily Star.