Barcola arriving would cast further doubt on Gakpo futurepublished at 12:05 BST
12:05 BST
Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Bradley Barcola is a right-footed forward who prefers to play on the left wing, and his likely arrival adds further doubt around Cody Gakpo's future at Anfield.
Multiple sources have told BBC Sport both Tottenham and Manchester City have shown interest in the Netherlands forward.
Barcola has become a main target for Liverpool, as they look to add potency to their attack following the departures of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah in the past two summers.
He moved to Paris St-Germain from Lyon in 2023 for a reported £38.5m fee and has won three Ligue 1 titles, two Champions Leagues, the French Cup twice, as well as the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Intercontinental Cup there.
PSG had valued the France forward at £145m but Liverpool are poised to agree a package that will be worth a minimum of £100m and can rise to £120m based on significant individual and team success.
The 23-year-old made 49 appearances last season, scoring 13 goals and registering seven assists, as Luis Enrique's side secured the club's fifth league title in a row, won back-to-back Champions Leagues and lifted the French Super Cup.
Is Barcola good business for Liverpool? And if this one gets over the line, what else still needs to happen in terms of both incomings and outgoings before 23:00 BST on 1 September?
'He'd walk into the team' or 'reeks of desperation'? Fans on Sarr interestpublished at 09:55 BST
09:55 BST
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Liverpool turning their focus to Crystal Palace winger Isamaila Sarr as they continue their hunt for wide attackers.
Here are some of your comments:
Jack: Premier League experience, versatile, scored numerous times against us. I'd say a good signing. Unfortunately, it seems like Palace want a lot of money for him and I don't want us overpaying for him. We're going for too many options right now. We need to decide who we want and then commit - otherwise, we'll end up with nobody.
John: I'd have preferred our recruitment strategy to have been more organised - identify who we need and make sensible offers early in the summer. Instead, we have all the composure of someone in Marks & Spencer at 5pm on Christmas Eve, frantically racing around because they have no idea what to get their partner.
Damo: The potential Sarr deal and Yankuba Minteh before it feels like fourth or fifth-choice scramble deals. What has happened to our fabled recruitment policy of a few years ago? We had months to get one or two over the line after Mo Salah left. At best, we look ponderous - though I fear to everyone else we look like we are panic buying.
Jay: Would Reds fans take a Senegalese winger who has an eye for goal? All day long. We know how that'll turn out. Sadio Mane was small but an absolute beast - Sarr is bigger and gives everything. He'd walk into the team straight away. Maybe he could show Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong how to win duels. Only way to stop Sadio scoring against us was to buy him - and same here, I reckon. Come to Anfield, Sarr, you'll be well taken care of.
Rahul: Liverpool's transfer strategy reeks of desperation. Switching from Yan Diomande, to Bradley Barcola, to Ibrahim Mbaye, to Minteh and now Sarr shows a distinct lack of a coherent plan. They've had a long time to plan for life post-Salah and have come up a long way short.
Steven: I am not against signing Sarr, I'm just embarrassed that we seem to have panicked and switched attention as the deadline looms. If he signs, great. It we get knocked back again it's not great for a huge club that used to have genuine pull.
Liverpool transfer plans feel 'scattergun'published at 07:32 BST
07:32 BST
Media caption,
Liverpool's transfer plans have been questioned this summer and fan Sam Milne believes the Reds have been too "scattergun" in their approach for a new forward player.
Andoni Iraola's side have been linked to a host of new attackers, including Paris St-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, and have had offers knocked back for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh - and are now exploring a move for Crystal Palace's Isamila Sarr in the last week of the transfer window.
Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside, Milne said: "I was surprised at first because if you look at the right wingers that Liverpool have been trying to sign all summer, they have all been very different.
"The reaction to the bid for Sarr has been quite negative. I don't think that's a reflection on Sarr himself because Liverpool fans have seen what he can do against us - I think he's scored six goals against Liverpool. It's more the difference in Sarr to the other players that have been linked.
"The rumours came out about Minteh and Liverpool put £60m in for him. An injured Minteh and a left-footed Minteh - which is interesting because Mohamed Salah was left-footed and Yan Diomande was both-footed, but Mbaye wasn't left-footed and neither is Sarr. That's where the worry starts to lie for Liverpool fans. What are we attempting?
"The word I've been using is scattergun. It feels like Liverpool are just saying: 'Right, who's been on the shortlist in the past? Can we get them?'"
Five Premier League clubs await Champions League drawpublished at 06:50 BST
06:50 BST
Jonty Colman BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
The league phase draw for the 2026-27 Champions League takes place at 17:00 BST in Monaco.
A total of 36 teams will take part in the league phase and each team will face eight different teams once, with four home matches and four away matches.
For the draw, the 36 teams will be placed into four pots, with one being the highest-ranked and four being the lowest. The pot placements are based on the clubs' Uefa club coefficient ranking from the five-season period ending at the conclusion of 2025-26.
Each team will face two teams from each of the four pots and cannot face a team from the same country as themselves.
The teams who finish in the top eight will qualify for the last 16. Those between ninth and 24th will enter the play-off knockout round. The 12 teams ranked between 25th and 36th will exit the competition when the league phase is concluded.
Premier League clubs Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all feature in pot one alongside back-to-back Champions League winners Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Aston Villa and Manchester United both return to the Champions League this season after not featuring last term. They are in pot two with Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven.
Reds pivot to Sarr in winger search - have your saypublished at 17:57 BST 26 August
17:57 BST 26 August
Image source, Getty Images
After having two bids for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh rejected, Liverpool have turned their attention to Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr as their pursuit of wide attackers intensifies.
The Reds had offers of £50m and £60m for Minteh turned down by the Seagulls and are now exploring a move for Sarr, who scored 21 goals last season for Palace.
Like Minteh, Sarr is a right-sided winger and has Premier League experience but the understanding is that Palace are not open to selling the Senegal attacker this summer. He was also the subject of interest from Galatasaray last week.
Talks are also continuing as Liverpool aim to strike a deal with Paris St-Germain for France winger Bradley Barcola.
The club are assessing all options before Tuesday's transfer deadline in their search for wide attackers and want to make two signings before the end of the window.
Liverpool fans - would Sarr be a good addition? And how important is signing two wide attackers before Tuesday's deadline?
Reds would need 'silly money' to sell Gakpo to Man City - fan's viewpublished at 12:33 BST 26 August
12:33 BST 26 August
Image source, Getty Images
Journalist and The Late Challenge podcast's Mo Stewart believes it would take "silly money" from Manchester City to persuade Liverpool to sell Cody Gakpo at this stage of the transfer window.
Liverpool's priority for the remainder of the window remains wide attacking players, making a deal to sell Gakpo seemingly unlikely.
"It's notable that they have expressed interest through Cody Gakpo's people rather than coming to the club," Stewart told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"Liverpool and Manchester City haven't done any direct transfers, I think, since Raheem Sterling in 2015. For most of that time, they have been direct rivals.
"It would be surprising if Liverpool were to countenance a deal with them. I think if there was any hint Liverpool would want to do this deal, it would have to be for silly money - 'silly' is the operative word here because I think letting Gakpo go would be silly at this stage, regardless of who comes in."
Listen to the full discussion below or on BBC Sounds
Bhatia set to be at Anfield for first home fixturepublished at 10:05 BST 26 August
10:05 BST 26 August
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
Image source, Milltown Partners
Image caption,
Amit Bhatia is part of one of the world's wealthiest families
Amit Bhatia, the new Liverpool vice-chairman, is set to attend the Reds' first home game of the season at Anfield on Saturday, when Andoni Iraola's side take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
BBC Sport understands that Bhatia has been invited to the game by John Henry, the principal owner of FSG.
The 46-year-old British-Indian millionaire businessman, who is based in London, is expected to be more visible at Anfield than other members of the consortium or FSG.
The consortium includes billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Bezos is based in America while Saverin is based in Singapore.
Bhatia will also take a place on an expanded Liverpool board that will include Elaine Saverin, the wife of Eduardo, and Bryan Baum, who is representing Bezos as part of K5 Sports (a venture capital firm founded by Baum).
The deal remains subject to approval from the new Independent Football Regulator and those involved must pass the Premier League owners' and directors' test.
When FSG confirmed that a minority stake had been sold to 1892 Holdings, Bhatia said: "We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG.
"We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield. To be welcomed as a partner in a club of this stature is a huge privilege.
"We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the club's continued success for years to come."
Reds focus remains on wingerspublished at 08:53 BST 26 August
08:53 BST 26 August
Having a defensive midfielder stationed accordingly would, in all likelihood, have nullified the threat for Newcastle's goals on Sunday..
Liverpool have not had an out-and-out number six since Fabinho, who left in 2023, and as it stands Iraola's preference is a two-man pivot in midfield with Florian Wirtz playing as a number 10.
Both of those two midfielders, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, were in the Newcastle box when Liverpool lost possession before Anthony Elanga's opener.
If Liverpool are to be taken seriously, they simply cannot concede goals like that regularly.
Andoni Iraola tends to avoid major debriefs in the dressing room after a game, with his personal preference to speak to the players a day later.
Asked in his post-match news conference about what could be done to prevent the kind of goals his side conceded, the Liverpool head coach suggested that it was not due to the type or identity of midfielders he had selected.
"I think it's just not personnel," said Iraola. "I understand you are telling me basically that Ryan Gravenberch is the six and he is on the edge of the box - but if he shoots and he scores we are saying what a play from Ryan Gravenberch."
It was an interesting point, given that Gravenberch produced the assist for Cody Gakpo's equaliser.
But shortly after Newcastle went 2-1 up, Iraola reacted by bringing on Alexis Mac Allister for Wirtz and Liverpool did seem more stable defensively - even if the Argentina international prefers to play as an eight.
Szoboszlai made zero tackles and won three of his 10 duels (30%) while Gravenberch similarly failed to make a tackle and won four of his 10 duels (40%).
When Mac Allister came on, he made two tackles and won four of his five duels (80%).
On Sky Sports, former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge did not hold back in his criticism.
"Liverpool do not have that profile of player right now." said Sturridge. "The team has needed a defensive midfielder for three years. If you analyse the midfield, they are all naturally attacking players."
At Liverpool, the focus in the remaining days of the transfer window is clear. Their stance is unchanged in that the priority remains wide attacking players rather than midfield, even after the exit of Curtis Jones.
How did Iraola fare on his Liverpool managerial debut?published at 08:08 BST 26 August
08:08 BST 26 August
Image source, Getty Images
Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the campaign with new managers.
Former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola got his first taste of action as Liverpool manager after succeeding sacked Arne Slot.
So how did he fare on an eventful first weekend of the 2026-27 campaign?
Iraola was spared the ignominy of defeat in his first Premier League game since succeeding Slot by Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty - but this was a sobering fact-finding mission for the new man in charge at Anfield.
He did not seem unduly concerned, but both of Newcastle United's goals will have been hauntingly familiar to those who watched Liverpool's title defence collapse under Slot last season.
The Magpies cashed in on Liverpool's wide open midfield, a flaw from the last campaign that saw them so vulnerable to fast counter-attacks.
Anthony Elanga sliced through Liverpool for the first, then six of Iraola's team stood idly by as Yoane Wissa and Joe Willock combined for the second.
Iraola has suggested Liverpool will not strengthen in midfield with a number six-type defensively minded player. This early evidence - not to mention what was seen last season - suggests they should.
If not, the draw at Newcastle was a red flag showing Iraola needs to find an internal solution which is not currently obvious.
It is all very well targeting wide players such as Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh, but what about when teams are running straight through the heart of Liverpool's team?
Iraola must also find a way to make the subdued Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz look like the players Liverpool paid a combined £241m for. Both were poor again at St James' Park.
When is the EFL Cup third-round draw?published at 07:00 BST 26 August
07:00 BST 26 August
Jonty Colman BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
The third-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, 26 August following the conclusion of Preston North End vs Everton.
Nine Premier League clubs taking part in European football join the 23 first-round winners from across the English Football League.
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace will enter the competition at this stage, as the top eight Premier League clubs from the 2025-26 season plus Crystal Palace as Conference League winners.
It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the third round tie between Preston North End and Everton, kicking off at 20:00 BST.
Unlike the opening two rounds of the competition, the third round draw is not regionalised.
However, before the match at Deepdale there will be a pre-draw determining which of the Champions League and Europa League clubs will play at home or away in round three.
In order to avoid potential scheduling issues, the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs cannot be drawn against each other in round three.
When the draw takes place, the first eight fixtures decided are the ones involving clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The remainder of the draw will be an open draw as usual.
Due to clashes with opening weeks of the Champions League and Europa League seasons, the third round will be played across two different weeks. They are the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September, 2026.
What do Liverpool still need in the transfer window?published at 18:26 BST 25 August
18:26 BST 25 August
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
As has been the case for most of the summer, Liverpool's priority remains the wide attacking areas and the expectation is that at least one and maybe two wingers will come in over the coming week.
Andoni Iraola said that personnel was not the issue when it came to defensive midfielders, though the manner in which his side conceded twice at Newcastle would suggest that it would be wise to address Liverpool's deficiencies in that department.
Nahyan Chowdhury, Liverpool fan
It is no secret Liverpool have been actively looking in the market for wingers - Bradley Barcola, Ibrahim Mbaye and Yankuba Minteh - and Sunday's display against Newcastle cemented that, with Rio Ngumoha looking uncomfortable on the right.
However, the performance also showed that the Reds may need a defensive midfielder to plug the huge disconnect between the defence and midfield, especially on the counter-attack.
Fans have been crying out for a Fabinho replacement since his departure, but it could be too late with a week to go.
What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?
Has Wirtz really underperformed at Liverpool?published at 17:06 BST 25 August
17:06 BST 25 August
Mohamed Moallim BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Gary Neville says Florian Wirtz has had an "easy ride" since joining Liverpool and must start delivering, but the underlying numbers paint a more nuanced picture.
The scrutiny is inevitably heightened by Wirtz's price tag, with Liverpool paying an initial £100m to sign him from Bayer Leverkusen, potentially rising to £116m.
He was heavily criticised during the first half of 2025-26 after failing to register a goal or assist in his opening 15 Premier League appearances. But his form improved significantly thereafter, with five goals and three assists across his final 18 league games.
Even so, his attacking output remained below his Leverkusen peak. Wirtz averaged 0.84 goals and assists per 90 in his final Bundesliga season, compared with 0.33 for Liverpool in 2025-26. His shot conversion fell from 15.4% to 8.3%, while his shots on target dropped from 1.53 to 0.72 per 90.
His ability to progress possession also declined, with progressive carries falling from 10.36 per 90 to 5.77.
Yet the criticism resurfaced after Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Newcastle on the opening weekend of 2026-27, when Wirtz was substituted after 63 minutes.
The wider figures suggest his contribution has been more substantial than the headline output implies. Only Bruno Fernandes, Enzo Fernandez and Jeremy Doku created more than Wirtz's 57 chances from open play last season, while he also ranked fourth for secondary chances created, fifth for carries ending in a chance and 12th for touches in the opposition box.
One game into the new season is too small a sample to judge any further trend, but Wirtz's Liverpool spell has contained considerably more creative influence than his goals and assists alone suggest.
'No-brainer' to keep Gakpo - fans on keeping Reds forwardpublished at 16:06 BST 25 August
16:06 BST 25 August
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether you would let Cody Gakpo leave Liverpool.
Here are some of your comments:
Ryan: I'm baffled as to why there's even a discussion about moving Gakpo on. He's frustrated at times with his consistency, but he's one of our main threats and, on his day, has shown his quality on a number of occasions. Considering how unbelievably poor both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have been, there shouldn't even be a discussion on whether to keep Gakpo or not. It's a no-brainer. I'd be really disappointed in the club if we were to move him on and really hope that we cling on to him.
DG: Gakpo, like many others, didn't perform that well last season - but he had a good World Cup and has been in form since. It makes no sense at all to sell him, especially as the rest of the attack has yet to fire.
Mark: Gakpo can't go anywhere unless we get at least two wingers in. We would be shooting ourselves in the foot if we sell Gakpo.
Richard: There is no way that Liverpool can let Gakpo leave this season. Even if Bradley Barcola comes in, there needs to be competition for places. Rio Ngumoha is only 17 and has virtually no experience. We'll soon have Premier League and Champions League games coming thick and fast, along with domestic cups, so if one of them gets injured then we're struggling. The bench is already bare.
Steve: I wouldn't let Gakpo leave right now, and definitely not to go to a rival.
Can Liverpool afford to let attacking threat Gakpo go?published at 11:40 BST 25 August
11:40 BST 25 August
Media caption,
BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club pundits have been discussing Andoni Iraola's "worrying" attacking options this season, with BBC Sport's Liverpool reporter Aadam Patel confirming "a number of clubs" are currently monitoring Cody Gakpo.
Former Premier League winger Andros Townsend said: "Cody Gakpo is their biggest attacking threat at the minute, yet he is the one player Liverpool actually want to get rid of.
"Rio Ngumoha is young, willing and hungry but he didn't have the affect he would've liked against Newcastle. Florian Wirtz is nice without being too threatening. Alexander Isak wasn't up to speed again."
The Observer's Rory Smith added: "It has been a long, long time since anyone has seen Isak play well. It is a difficult position for him to be in and it is unfortunate he has been unfit for so long.
"The basic issue with Liverpool is I'm not sure they have the players to do what they want to do. That seemed to be the problem for Arne Slot and you do wonder if it will be the same problem for Andoni Iraola."
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said: "Isak shot himself in the foot last season. He didn't go about things in the right way, he forced his move, he didn't perform and he picked up injuries.
"Everything that could've gone wrong did go wrong for him. I'm not going to write him off, though, because he has already proved what an outstanding finisher he is."
St Mirren sign Liverpool's 'exceptional' Ramsay on loanpublished at 09:36 BST 25 August
09:36 BST 25 August
Image source, Getty
Scotland cap Calvin Ramsay is eager to "rebuild myself" at St Mirren after joining on a season-long loan from Liverpool.
The 23-year-old right-back moved to Liverpool from Aberdeen for £4.1m four years ago but has played just four first-team matches for the Anfield side.
Loan spells at Preston, Bolton, Wigan and Kilmarnock have brought a further 26 appearances.
"I know the league and I wanted to come back up here and try and show what I can do and rebuild myself again," said Ramsay.
"I feel like it's a good place to come. I want to try and perform, work as hard as I can and see where that takes me.
"It's probably a different St Mirren compared to the last few years. That'll suit me. I'm comfortable on the ball, I'm composed, I like to get on it and try and create things and make things happen."
The "exceptional" full-back, whose solitary Scotland cap came in 2022, adds a "different dynamic" to the St Mirren squad, says manager Craig McLeish.
"It's a really important year for Calvin where he needs to find regular football to help kick on his career and we're happy to give him that platform because we get an exceptional young player to add to our group," he said.
'An extremely talented boy who lacks intensity' - fans on Wirtzpublished at 09:19 BST 25 August
09:19 BST 25 August
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on how you would use Florian Wirtz in Liverpool's team, after Gary Neville said he and fellow big-money signing Alexander Isak have "had a bit of a free ride" in terms of criticism.
Here are some of your comments:
Phillip: As always, it feels the same thoughts we are all expressing. He's an extremely talented boy who, for whatever reason, lacks the intensity to really be effective in the Premier League. In pretty much any other league, he is likely to be one of the best players, yet he still has to fully adapt. The question really is: will he ever? Diminutive players have thrived in the past. I don't know if maybe the Premier League has moved on physically so much that there is no place. Remains to be seen, but massive agreement there can be no more excuses.
Johnie: The free role just hasn't worked. He looks lost and we are too open in midfield when we lose the ball. Go back to a conventional 4-3-3 and use him on the left, where he played a lot of games in Germany.
Peter: It's going to be a long old season. Jeremie Frimpong is one of Liverpool's worst signings and he makes the team weaker. Wirtz and Isak need to be dropped. Dominik Szoboszlai playing behind the striker, Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha on either wing and Cody Gakpo up front would offer more of a threat. I'd also give a chance to Wataru Endo or Trey Nyoni alongside Ryan Gravenberch (although it would be nice to sign a world-class defensive midfielder). But, overall, Liverpool need attacking reinforcements urgently.
Parm: It's going to be business as usual - and by that I mean the same as last season. Disjointed, too many weak points and players not performing. Wirtz is anonymous for large parts of the game. I'll make a prediction: Liverpool won't win any trophy with Frimpong, Wirtz or Isak in the team. If Gakpo leaves as he has been rumoured, and we fail to bring in proven quality, then it could be even worse than last season.
Dionne: I would sell Wirtz as soon as possible - cut the losses. He might be an intelligent footballer with great awareness, but he isn't technically exceptional and he certainly isn't athletic or quick enough to make it in the Premier League.
Miles: Szoboszlai on the right and Wirtz sitting behind Isak, with Nyoni and Gravenberch behind him.
This is your Liverpool page so bookmark it, or if you're on the BBC Sport app or signed in on a browser, hit 'Follow' to add it to your MySport and get more news, analysis, stats and fan views - and also select the bell icon in the app to sign up for club notifications.
Perhaps the writing is on the wallpublished at 08:41 BST 25 August
08:41 BST 25 August
Aadam Patel Liverpool reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It was a little under a month ago when, in the bowels of the Yankee Stadium in New York, Harvey Elliott spoke candidly about his emotions after a "tough" loan spell at Aston Villa and why this summer felt like a second chance for him at Liverpool.
There was a smile on his face when he spoke about his love for the club - the team he has supported since he was a boy - and wanting to be free and enjoying himself again with his football, because he felt like he hadn't done that enough.
On the first weekend of the Premier League season, though, Elliott was left out of the Liverpool squad for their trip to Newcastle United - and it now looks increasingly likely the 23-year-old could be on his way out before the transfer window closes.
Liverpool have received no offers for Elliott, who spent last season on loan, and his exclusion from the squad on Sunday was not transfer or injury related.
His contract expires next summer and, if first-team football is not possible at Liverpool, he needs to go somewhere where it is to avoid another lost season.
So, with a week to go in the transfer window and with further attacking signings expected at Anfield, perhaps the writing is on the wall.
A move lower down the Premier League or somewhere in Europe may be an option.
He is neat on the ball and unafraid to take risks - a return of 15 goals and 21 assists for Liverpool showcases what he can do.
Either way, it is imperative for all involved that Elliott finds somewhere to play football regularly this season.
Image source, Getty Images
