Incredible: Liverpool make nine-figure offer for second-choice star
Liverpool have incredibly put a nine-figure offer on the table, according to reports. All for their second-choice signing.
Liverpool aren't messing around anymore, it seems. A move for Ronald Araujo from Barcelona is well and truly on the way, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the player is flying in for his medical.
That one is imminent, then, but far from the only move Liverpool are making. In fact, they're currently working on a hat trick of deals with two weeks to go before the big kick-off.
One of those deals, and by far the biggest, is for Bradley Barcola. The Frenchman is a wanted man right now after deciding not to renew his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
That has Liverpool in negotiations to sign him and by all accounts, Barcola is eager for the move. Whether PSG are is another matter.
L'Equipe reports that the Reds are testing PSG with an offer of around €115m. It's an awful lot of money and the third-biggest deal in club history.
This is for a player who, we must remember, wasn't Liverpool's first-choice this summer. They wanted Yan Diomande, only for that particular deal to collapse early on.
And so now Liverpool are chasing Barcola, someone they always saw as a market opportunity. Anfield Watch exclusively revealed that back in April, with it now looking sort of close.
Sort of.
The L'Equipe report makes it clear that the third-biggest-deal wouldn't be enough. PSG are fully expected to reject the offer and hold out for the amount they're chasing - €150m.
Though, it's important to remember that early estimates had PSG wanting €180m. They have brought that asking price down, even if it's still staggeringly high for a player who doesn't actually make their best XI right now.
It isn't clear what Liverpool will do but they've got some big decisions to make over the next two weeks. They've gone all-in on Barcola despite the price tag and if they can't talk PSG down, they'll be in a tough spot.
Too late to turn elsewhere and too poor to meet the €150m price. Let's hope something changes because otherwise Liverpool are going to be struggling.