Football finance expert Stefan Borson has explained why Liverpool will sign PSG winger Bradley Barcola “as a minimum” this summer, while the Reds are also being tipped to make a shock raid on Tottenham Hotspur.
Anfield transfer chiefs have been quiet in the window to date, with wide man Victor Munoz brought in from LaLiga side Osasuna for around €40m, while Jeremy Jacquet also arrived from Rennes in a deal that was lined up in the winter.
However, Liverpool are expected to be active now that the World Cup has officially drawn to a close and it’s easier to do business, with a replacement for club legend Mohamed Salah remaining a top priority.
Liverpool to make Barcola move
One player who has been very much on the club’s radar is PSG and France attacker Barcola, with an offer already reported to be on the table from the Reds.
Speaking recently about interest from Arsenal in the player, trusted reporter David Ornstein hinted at what the future might bring for the talented forward.
Indeed, Ornstein said: “Bradley Barcola has been mentioned, but we don’t know of active movements from Arsenal on Barcola at this moment in time. PSG’s standpoint is that they do NOT want to sell him, they would like to renew his contract.
“Even if they are to sell him, the price in their mind would be higher – considerably, I think – than Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City. This is a player who has won Champions Leagues, you have got to pay the market rate.
“He does have two years to go on his contract, he doesn’t appear to be signing, he appears to be open to moving. It seems, for multiple reasons, it’s one that might take some time to develop, whether that’s staying or going.”
Despite Ornstein’s comments, former Manchester City financial adviser Borson is confident that Liverpool will snap up Barcola and that more signings will also follow to bolster Andoni Iraola’s squad.
Indeed, Borson told Football Insider: “Liverpool haven’t really done anything yet either, but they will do. I think they definitely will do.
“They’ll probably sign [Bradley] Barcola as a minimum, I would think. So, Liverpool are going to spend quite big. But outside of that, there’s not a lot of movement.
“And are the teams lower down going to start picking off the excess at Liverpool, [Man] City, Arsenal, the fringe players that those teams would want to sell?”
The bidding for Barcola is expected to begin at around €70m (£59.5m, $80m), although landing the Frenchman for sort of fee is probably wishful thinking in the current market
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Liverpool join race to sign Tottenham star
Liverpool are taking a “serious look” at signing Tottenham Hotspur and England full-back Djed Spence, although they are likely to have to dig deep to get their man.
It could be argued that Iraola needs to bolster both the right-back and left-spot spots this summer, and Spence just so happens to be able to fill either.
The versatile star showcased his talents as one of England’s stand-out performers at the World Cup, performing well whenever called upon by Thomas Tuchel – although more on the left-hand side than the right.
As TEAMtalk exclusively revealed earlier this month, Tottenham are very much open to the full-back’s sale and, knowing this summer represents a real chance to maximise his value, sources revealed Inter Milan are currently ahead of both the Reds and Newcastle in the race.
However, journalist Dave Davis is adamant that Iraola’s side are very much keen on a deal for the 14-cap England star, despite the admission that any transfer will likely come at a premium price.
Speaking on the Anfield Index YouTube channel, Davis said: “We went digging on this and Djed Spence is absolutely a player that Liverpool are looking at.”
He added: “That’s our info now. Liverpool absolutely are having a serious look at Djed Spence.”
Explaining the reasoning behind the interest, he added: “Liverpool like him for a number of reasons. Number one, he is electric quick. He is an excellent one-on-one defender, as you’ve also seen, and he’s an excellent carrier.”
The player’s ability to cover two positions is also of interest to the Reds, with Davis adding: “He can play right-back and left-back at the same time, which means you just wonder, you know, you sell [Kostas] Tsimikas, and then you’ve got right-back and left-back cover there in Djed Spence.”
Davis, though, feels the price could be an issue and stated: “They’re gonna want top dollar. So they should. Spurs should be asking for something like 40 million quid because he’s homegrown. He’s just had a great World Cup.”
However, he caveated that by saying: “He’s not worth that though, is he? It’s just that it’s a complicated one at right-back and centre-back for Liverpool right now.”
Nonetheless, he added: “We have to keep an eye on Djed Spence this week.”
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