‘Breakthrough in talks’ – Fabrizio Romano’s Thursday update is great news for Liverpool & Bradley Barcola
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ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYFabrizio Romano reports on X (formerly Twitter) that the Ligue 1 champions are at the “final stages” of an agreement to sign the talented attacker.Liverpool had been recently linked to the France international; however, their current efforts are focused on acquiring compatriot Bradley Barcola.Maghnes Akliouche set to sign for PSG this summerIt’s another quality option off the table for Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool but it just might represent a net positive as far as our efforts to sign Barcola are concerned. 🚨🔴🔵 EXCL: Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco reach breakthrough in talks for Maghnes Akliouche! Details to be sorted and then here we go expected next. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/tcaFc70Gpe — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 30, 2026It’s a body in through the door for PSG, who had been hoping to also sign Yan Diomande (now set to link up with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid).Want more Empire of the Kop coverage?
Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustBut more to the point, it’s the kind of signing that might help make Liverpool’s point when it comes to negotiating an acceptable fee in the summer transfer window.PSG can’t demand big money for Barcola and pay half for AklioucheAccording to reports coming out of France (L’Equipe via GFFN), PSG recently had a bid of €45m [£38.5m] rejected for Maghnes Akliouche. Monaco, on their end, are understood to be looking for a figure closer €70m [£59.9m] to allow the Frenchman to make the switch to Paris.Now, even if we assume that PSG caved and agreed to supply the better part of £60m to snap up the Ligue 1 star, we’re struggling to see how the French champions have a leg to stand on when it comes to valuing Bradley Barcola at a reported £145m.Liverpool, of course, have absolutely no intention of meeting this figure, and it’s a stance we strongly support here at Empire of the Kop.Logically speaking, how can PSG set a £145m price point when Akliouche, another prominent French talent, has amassed more minutes than Barcola this term?
Maghnes Akliouche minutes in 2025/26 (club) Bradley Barcola minutes in 2025/26 (club) 3,425 2,971 PSG might argue that their No.29 should be considered a more “premium” talent who’s had to compete for minutes with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Certainly not when it comes to the most important games in PSG’s season, with Bradley Barcola not starting a single Champions League game after the last 16.Also, if we’re going to play the game of using Elliot Anderson (£116m) and Morgan Rogers (£117m) as markers, we don’t see why Liverpool can’t use Akliouche’s price tag to influence negotiations.