Liverpool hold contract talks with ‘one of the best players in the world’

The old adage is that 12 months is a long time in football and this has been evident at Arne Slott’s Liverpool Football Club throughout the ongoing campaign.

The Dutchman’s debut season saw the Reds win the Premier League title and many had high hopes for the manager during his time at Anfield.

However, despite splurging £450m during the summer transfer window, his team regressed significantly throughout the 2025/26 season.

The Reds are 15 points adrift of the top of the division and, having lost in their other cup competition this term, are just barely chasing a top-five finish.

As a result, pressure is on the manager’s shoulders, but it looks like he may be given a reprieve in the coming summer to make the desired changes to his squad.

Liverpool make £62m sensation their biggest summer target

After Mohamed Salah announced his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season, there are high hopes for the player in the hierarchy to replace the fan favorite.

RB Leipzig star Yann Diomande is one of the players constantly linked with a move to Anfield and has been touted as one of the club’s priority targets this summer.

However, a deal for the Ivory Coast international would be a hefty deal, with the Bundesliga side said to be demanding a transfer fee of €100m (approximately £87m) for the teenager.

As a result, the Reds hierarchy have targeted other options, with PSG star Bradley Barcola being another attacker they have their eyes on heading into the off-season.

According to TEAMtalk, Slott’s men have started keeping an eye on the Frenchman in case they miss out on signing Diomand during the summer.

The report also states that the 23-year-old is fast emerging as the club’s number one target this summer, with the possibility of a bargain deal.

TEAMtalk confirmed that Liverpool have already been in contact with PSG to see if they would sell Barcora, but have so far been met with resistance. However, things may change if Diomand moves to Paris. In fact, the French champions are also battling Liverpool to secure his services.

The winger would still have to spend big to sign him, but he could be snapped up for a cut price of £62m once the transfer window opens.

Why Barcola is a better contract than Diomande

As mentioned above, Diomande continued to be touted as one of Liverpool’s main targets heading into the summer season, but he now faces significant competition from PSG for his availability.

The 19-year-old has had a breakout year for Germany this season, as evidenced by his impressive record of 13 goals and eight assists across all competitions.

However, the teenage star’s contract requires caution, and with this season being his first in Europe’s top five leagues, he could be a one-season wonder.

This, coupled with his huge transfer fee, could spell disaster for the Reds as they look to avoid the mistake of spending £450m last summer.

As a result, Barcola could become a more attractive option for Slott, especially considering his experience in the Champions League in recent years.

The French winger, who is, in the words of Como scout Ben Mattinson, “one of the best wingers in the world”, scored a total of seven goals and provided an assist in such competitions last season, before helping the Parisians beat Inter Milan to claim European glory.

His experience in such competitions is definitely a big selling point, but he has also managed to outperform Diomande in a number of key areas throughout the ongoing campaign.

He has shot 48% on target in Ligue 1 this season, while also posting an impressive 1.8 shots per 90 on target, both of which are higher than the Ivorian.

The latter of the aforementioned tallies allows him to score 10 goals in the French top flight, while at the same time ranking in the top 7% of attackers in the division.

Apart from his ability to score goals, Barcola also managed to complete more of the passes he attempted and created more chances per 90.

He has been a constant nuisance for opponents in recent months, as evidenced by his impressive 8.8 touches per 90 inside the opposition box.

As well as shots on target, the winger has achieved more touches than 97% of other players in his position, ranking highly among other players in Ligue 1.

The threat was primarily due to his take-on success, as seen in his 2.1 successful dribbles per 90, which allowed him to ghost into the box and often find the back of the net.

Despite his success, many fans will still want Diomande to move this summer, especially given the consistent relationship over signing the Ivorian.

However, the Reds bosses need to commit to signing Barcola, with the Frenchman certainly a proven top-flight star who needs a new challenge.