Richard Hughes says no: He won't pay £60m for African forward deal

Liverpool’s stated aim in this summer’s transfer window is adding one-v-one quality out wide.

A deal has already been wrapped up for Victor Munoz - with the 23-year-old FIFA World Cup winner coming in from Osasuna for £34m.

More additions are required however - with Mohamed Salah departing the attack on a lucrative free transfer to Trabzonspor.

Richard Hughes remains active in the chase for Bradley Barcola - the Paris Saint-Germain winger valued at £145m by his club.

The 2024/25 Premier League champions will be hoping to reduce that price before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Liverpool now focused on Minteh

In separate developments the Anfield side are also hunting a deal for Yankuba Minteh.

The long-term Liverpool target has been the subject of two bids from Merseyside - worth £50m and £60m - but Brighton are in no mood to do business for under £70m per reports.

Liverpool also interested in Ibrahim Mbaye

Another winger mentioned in dispatches has been Barcola’s PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye. Reports last week claimed the Senegal international, 18, had already agreed personal terms on a five-year deal at Anfield.

Those suggestions were quickly rebuffed by club insiders - who stated instead that Liverpool’s interest was merely “exploratory”. Now it has been established that this particular deal has fallen apart due to the PSG asking price.

RMC Sport is claiming that Luis Enrique’s side want an eye-watering €70m (£60m) before letting the homegrown attacker leave.

Although he’s got several titles in his back pocket at this early stage of his career Mbaye is still developing and the final price does not currently represent good value for money.

Liverpool would be paying for potential for Mbaye - who prefers to play off the right side.

PSG want £60m for Mbaye

And that is risky as Andoni Iraola requires proven performers at this stage - a player who can come in and do a job from the get-go.

RMC openly states that the Merseysiders have been deterred from doing a deal for Mbaye at that price and would instead only be prepared to value him at around €50m (£43m).

“Liverpool remain interested in Ibrahim Mbaye, and the player has agreed terms with the English club on a future contract,” the report reads.

“However, at this stage, Liverpool is not prepared to invest €70 million in the Paris Saint-Germain player.

“Internally, the English club, which has explored other options, is reportedly unwilling to even go as high as €60 million, given that Mbaye still has two years remaining on his contract with PSG and the Parisian club has made it clear that he is free to leave this summer.”

Expect Barcola and Minteh to arrive

Liverpool reporters claim that Barcola and one more is the plan for the winger shakeup in the remaining weeks of the window.

We should not therefore expect the club to sign both Mbaye AND Minteh - and their focus on the Gambian should now signal a definite end to the proposed move for Mbaye.