Liverpool Bradley Barcola transfer emerges as Yan Diomande alternative target

Liverpool eye Bradley Barcola as Yan Diomande pursuit faces major transfer hurdle

Liverpool’s search for a new wide forward is beginning to take shape, and it now looks like a two-name race at the very top of their shortlist as they prepare for life beyond Mohamed Salah.

At the centre of it all is RB Leipzig teenager Yan Diomande, the 19-year-old Ivorian who has quickly become Liverpool’s primary target for the right-side role.

But with his valuation rising sharply in Germany, the club are already keeping a close eye on a serious alternative in Paris.

Diomande sets the bar, and the price

Diomande’s emergence this season has not gone unnoticed at Anfield. The Leipzig winger is viewed internally as a long-term solution for the right flank, with his profile ticking plenty of boxes for Liverpool’s recruitment team.

The issue, as always at this level, is cost.

Leipzig are expected to demand around €100 million, roughly £87 million, with suggestions from Germany that the price could climb even higher if negotiations intensify. The player is understood to be open to a move after just one season in the Bundesliga, but that alone does not make the deal any easier.

Liverpool’s interest is real, but so is the hesitation that comes with a fee of that size for such a young player.

And that uncertainty is exactly why attention is already widening elsewhere.

Barcola firmly back in the conversation

If Diomande proves too expensive, the name rising again is Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain.

The 23-year-old was already on Liverpool’s list last summer, when the club were assessing attacking options alongside their striker search. At the time, any move never materialised, partly because focus shifted elsewhere, and partly because PSG were not entertaining discussions.

That situation has changed in subtle but important ways.

Barcola is now being tracked again by Liverpool recruitment staff, with multiple respected reports confirming his place in their wider winger shortlist alongside Diomande.

Paul Joyce stated that RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is among several players who operates wide and have been evaluated. The group of candidates is also anticipated to include Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

That aligns with separate reporting from France, where it has been suggested Liverpool are weighing up both options as they prepare for a potential reshuffle in wide areas.

Why Barcola is suddenly back in focus

Barcola’s situation in Paris is not quite as straightforward as his numbers might suggest.

Since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Lyon in 2023, he has produced 38 goals and 37 assists in 143 appearances, while also breaking into the France national setup with 18 caps.

On paper, that looks like a player steadily becoming central to one of Europe’s strongest squads.

In reality, his role is less secure.

PSG, under Luis Enrique, have settled on a front line built around Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué.

That trio has carried them through key moments in the Champions League, including a title-winning campaign, and remains the preferred combination in big matches.

Barcola still plays his part, but often not from the start when everyone is fit.

There have been notable occasions this season where he has begun major Champions League knockout matches, including being named among the substitutes for both legs of high-profile ties against Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

That rotation role is unlikely to disappear anytime soon in Paris.

What Liverpool see in him

From Liverpool’s perspective, Barcola represents something very different to Diomande.

Where the Leipzig teenager is viewed more as a long-term project with explosive upside, Barcola offers experience at the top level already, including Champions League knockout exposure and regular involvement in a title-winning PSG side.

It’s also understood that Liverpool originally considered him as a potential target before eventually focusing elsewhere in previous windows, only for him to re-emerge as a serious option now that attacking changes are being prepared.

There is a belief within recruitment circles that, in a different environment, Barcola could become a guaranteed starter rather than a rotation option.

And that’s the key point.

At Anfield, he would not be arriving to compete for minutes. He would be expected to play.

The financial reality

Both Diomande and Barcola sit in the same financial bracket.

Reports suggest PSG would demand close to €100 million for Barcola, placing him in the same territory as Leipzig’s valuation for Diomande. Neither deal would come cheaply, and Liverpool will need to make a decision on where to commit their resources.

There is no sense of urgency yet, but the direction is becoming clearer. With Mohamed Salah’s future no longer viewed as long-term, Liverpool are preparing for a shift in their attacking structure.

Who leads that change remains open.

A decision looming

What’s interesting here is not just the names, but the timing. Liverpool are effectively running two parallel tracks: one focused on a high-upside teenager in Germany, the other on a more established Champions League performer in Paris.

Liverpool are not short of attacking talent, but they are clearly planning for a new cycle in wide areas.

Whether that begins with Diomande’s raw potential or Barcola’s more polished profile will depend on negotiations that, at this stage, are still taking shape behind the scenes.

For now, both remain firmly in the conversation. But as often happens at this level, only one will likely make the leap from shortlist to reality.