Bradley Barcola could be calling himself a Liverpool player within days. The English giants are prepared to make a notable extra payment in negotiations over the Paris Saint-Germain winger. According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are taking on a sum of five million euros that would normally be paid by the selling club.
Several senior figures at The Reds were involved in the transfer talks. Jacobs reports that Mike Gordon, president of Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, Billy Hogan, Liverpool CEO, and Richard Hughes, sporting director, all played a part in negotiations over the Paris Saint-Germain forward.
On Thursday evening, Gordon is said to have reached an agreement with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, over the additional payment. According to Jacobs, Liverpool are paying another five million euros on top of the transfer fee to Barcola's former club Olympique Lyon.
The payment is tied to the so-called solidarity contribution. Under that system, part of the transfer fee normally goes to clubs that trained a player between the ages of 12 and 23. In Barcola's case, Lyon are the club who benefit from it.
More strikingly, Liverpool are taking on those costs themselves. According to Jacobs, the solidarity contribution is usually paid by the selling club, but Liverpool have decided to cover the amount. In doing so, the English club showed notable flexibility during the negotiations.
Before that, Barcola completed a large part of his development at Lyon and eventually broke into the first team there. In January 2024, the French forward made the move to Paris Saint-Germain, where he developed further into one of the best wingers in Europe.
Jacobs reported on Saturday morning that Liverpool will pay a fee of €123 million, which could rise to €144 million through bonuses. Official confirmation of the deal is expected in the coming days.