Liverpool have completed the signing of France winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth up to £124 million, making him the second-most expensive player in the club’s history.
A source close to PSG told AFP that the transfer is worth €125 million (£107 million, $145 million) plus €20 million in easily achievable bonuses.
The total package places Barcola behind only Alexander Isak among Liverpool’s record signings, following the £125 million paid to Newcastle United for the Sweden international.
Barcola’s transfer is also the highest fee ever paid for a Ligue 1 player. The 23-year-old becomes the subject of the 10th £100 million-plus transfer in Premier League history and the fourth such deal completed this summer.
He is also the third forward costing around £100 million or more to join Liverpool in the past two years. Isak arrived at Anfield last year, while the Reds also spent around £100 million to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
Neither Isak nor Wirtz has yet fully justified those significant fees, although Isak missed much of last season through injury.
Barcola has signed what Liverpool described as a long-term contract after sitting out PSG’s opening games of the season amid speculation over his future.
The France international expressed his pride at completing the move and outlined his ambition to win the Premier League and establish himself at Anfield for the long term.
Barcola arrives with an impressive trophy-winning pedigree after being part of the PSG squad that claimed back-to-back Champions League titles over the past two seasons.
He scored 39 goals in 152 appearances for the French giants and won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles after joining PSG from Lyon for £38.6 million in 2023.
Barcola also impressed for France at the recent World Cup, scoring three goals as his country reached the semi-finals.
Liverpool have been looking to strengthen their options out wide following Mohamed Salah’s departure at the end of last season.
Luis Diaz had already left the club the previous season, leaving Liverpool needing additional quality and creativity on the flanks.
The Reds have also signed Spain World Cup-winning winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna during the current transfer window.
Munoz has made a promising start at Anfield, scoring the equaliser in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. That result followed another 2-2 draw in their Premier League opener at Newcastle United on August 23.
Barcola is expected to operate primarily from the left wing, potentially pushing Cody Gakpo further down the pecking order amid interest from Manchester City.
The Frenchman will also reunite with former PSG teammate and fellow France international Hugo Ekitike, who is currently recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Barcola revealed that Ekitike had regularly contacted him during negotiations, asking whether his move to Liverpool was going to be completed.
Competition for places had limited Barcola’s status as an automatic starter at PSG, with Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue among the club’s attacking options.
Despite that competition, Barcola remained an important member of the PSG squad during their Champions League successes and now begins a new chapter as part of Liverpool’s rebuilt attack.
