Liverpool

Liverpool are preparing a move for Bradley Barcola so we asked if you think the quotation is a fair one. Paris St-Germain value the 23-year-old at around £145m, while the Reds think any deal should be around £100m.

Here are some of your comments:

John: Truly flabbergasted at his price. Not denying his quality and potential but when you hear Vinicius Jr is valued at £137m you have to give your head a scratch.

Lee: He's proved his worth. A big signing for the new manager makes sense, get the season started with a buzz. Realistically we still need to look at the back four conundrum though.

Kate: I think its scandalous the amount of money paid for these players! It's going up and up. If you want the best around then they know you'll pay but look what happened last season. I'm on the fence here, I do want Barcola but at that price, I think we should invest in quality, experienced defenders instead. We don't want a weak backline. Iraola knows how to get the best out of what we've got. We need defenders.

• Watch Barcola's pace as he scores against England

Andrew: Ridiculous amount of money. Can Barcola actually last a full 90 minutes? He seemed to be subbed between 60 and 70 mins. I hope that proves to be wrong if we buy him.

Paul: There appears to be enough attacking options already surely last year showed the need is in defence. Make the back line solid and build out from there.

Stu: Barcola would be a good signing but he's not worth anywhere near £100m, never mind £145m. He's a squad player at PSG. If they won't accept £70m max then move on to someone else.

Dan: I happen to highly rate Barcola, one of those players who seems like he's been around for years and years then you realise he's only 23. During PSG's campaign anytime he was brought on he was a threat, maybe not the most polished finisher but a real threat and he has incredible pace as seen during France's World Cup run. Do I think he's worth £145m? Absolutely not. In today's market I'd have said between £60-£80m. A player with potential - young and fast but he's sat on PSG's bench all season.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool have stepped up their interest in Paris St-Germain forward Bradley Barcola and are preparing an opening bid.

The 23-year-old has been identified as the primary option for Liverpool, as they look to replace Mohamed Salah who left the club at the end of last season.

The France winger is valued at around £145m. Such a fee would break the British transfer record, but those at Anfield are keen on striking a deal closer to the £100m-mark.

Barcola has two years left on his current contract, but he is understood to be keen on a move and a new challenge after falling down the pecking order at Paris St-Germain.

How would you feel about this signing? Do you think Bradley Barcola is worth £145m?

Get in touch with your views here

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool's pre-season plans were disrupted on Tuesday with the squad unable to fly to New York City from Chicago due to adverse weather conditions.

Andoni Iraola's side are scheduled to take on Wrexham at the Yankee Stadium at 7.30pm local time on Wednesday (12.30am BST on Thursday morning).

Heavy rain and thunderstorms left New York under a flood watch - completely disrupting air travel on Tuesday - and the squad are now scheduled to travel today from Chicago, which has been their training base for their pre-season tour.

An event was held in New York on Tuesday evening to launch Liverpool's new Adidas away kit where some first-team players were expected to attend but were subsequently unable to take part.

After the game against Wrexham, the Reds head back to Chicago where they will conclude their tour with a game against Leeds.

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Paul Salt and Mike Hughes discuss Liverpool legends Mark Lawrenson and Sammy Lee as their A-Z of Liverpool players reaches the letter L.

Lee and Lawrenson won a host of honours while with the Reds.

Hughes told Salt: "It was that telescopic outstretched leg with diving in to get the challenge in, where it was almost his signature movement, wasn't it? Signature challenge. And one of the great Liverpool defenders of all time, Mark Lawrenson.

"He was immaculate as a footballer. You mentioned his reading of the game and the understanding that he had with Alan Hansen in particular, his pace, his general pace. Very rarely was he outsmarted on the field. He was just a terrific footballer."

Salt added: "Were it not for the emergence of Virgil van Dijk, I think Hansen and Lawrenson would be my centre-back partnership in any kind of all-time 11."

Sammy Lee played for Liverpool during their late-1970s and 1980s era, winning five league titles, four League Cups, two European Cups, and earning 14 England caps.

"Sammy Lee was the epitome of pass and move," Hughes added.

"And when Liverpool were moving the ball around the pitch, Sammy Lee would always look, if at all possible, to pass it forward, to break the lines, as we say in this sort of modern footballing terminology.

"He wanted to make sure that Liverpool were moving the ball around, moving the opposition around and was a fantastic team-mate.

"So much energy, so much drive and you look at what he achieved and what Liverpool won when Sammy Lee was playing for them - it's a formidable array of silverware, isn't it?"

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here

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Liverpool have released their new away kit for the 2026-27 season, which is a white shirt with three red stripes down the arm.

The away strip has been inspired by "Liverpool's away kits from the mid-80s" and is completed with red shorts and white socks.

The Reds' goalkeeper away kit is predominantly purple, featuring black arms.

Liverpool will wear the new shirt in their pre-season fixture against Wrexham on 29 July (00:00 BST).

Image source, Liverpool FC

Paris St-Germain and France forward Bradley Barcola, 23, has verbally agreed to join Liverpool, but there is no certainty over a move as there is a significant gap between the two clubs on the fee. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.

Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws.

Attendees said "lengthy, microscoping reviews" indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.

When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.

"It was reiterated that, in accordance with protocol, VAR must only intervene in situations of 'clear and obvious' error, ie. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident," Uefa said in a statement.

"VAR is not meant to re-referee the game, it is an essential support to the referees, who must remain at the centre of all decision-making.

"Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited."

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter in New York City

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Two centre-backs caught the eye of Liverpool's scouting department at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last November.

Within weeks, the club spent a combined £3.5m on the pair: Senegal's Mor Talla Ndiaye and Austria's Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

Under Matt Newberry, Liverpool's head of global talent, this was evidence of future planning in full flow.

Yet surely no-one inside the club would have expected the teenage duo to be the centre-back pairing for most of Liverpool's opening pre-season fixture.

With Joe Gomez forced off by injury in the eighth minute against Sunderland, and neither Jeremy Jacquet nor Giovanni Leoni fit to play, Liverpool have a problem at the heart of their defence.

Looking long term is one thing, but the Reds need reinforcements now.

Even before the injury, new head coach Andoni Iraola said his squad was "very thin" defensively.

Gomez was absent from Liverpool's training session in Chicago on Sunday and an update on the severity of his injury is expected this week.

He is Liverpool's longest-serving current player but has now missed 225 games because of injury, according to Transfermarkt, since signing from Charlton in 2015.

Virgil van Dijk is the club's only fit senior centre-back. The Liverpool captain is 35 and played every minute in the Premier League last season, but he is not the force that he used to be.

The Dutchman, like Gomez, is also into the last year of his contract at Anfield. There is a possibility both players will move on next summer.

One of the reasons why Liverpool allowed Ibrahima Konate to leave on a free transfer and join Real Madrid was because they felt Jacquet, 21, and Leoni, 19, whose transfers weighed in at £60m and £26m respectively, were the best young centre-backs in France and Italy.

Perhaps they will prove inspired signings, with Jacquet in line to make his debut against Leeds on Sunday.

Liverpool will give them every opportunity to fulfil their potential, but right now, just like Ndiaye and Ndukwe, both are far from the finished product.

"We need players - it's fairly obvious," former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler told BBC Sport in New York, where the Reds take on Wrexham at 00:30 BST on Wednesday.

"I'm very sad for Joe Gomez, who has been so unfortunate with injuries. This could have been a real chance to cement his place and for him to show that we don't need another centre-half.

"We've spent money on Jacquet and Leoni, and the guidance that Joe and Virgil can give from their experience to the young lads is telling.

"We won't see the best version of the young lads yet, but you do need that experience in the squad. And yes, the manager's been on record saying that we need players and I would not be surprised if another centre-half is in that conversation."

Read more on Liverpool's defensive problems here

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Ryan Gravenberch is hopeful Liverpool will improve on their disappointing campaign last season and wants to step up as a "leader" in 2026-27.

The 24-year-old formed part of Arne Slot's title-winning side in 2024-25 but was also involved in a disappointing fifth-placed finish last season, prompting the dismissal of the Dutch head coach.

New manager Andoni Iraola has been tasked with reviving the Reds and speaking about his new boss, Gravenberch said: "Just the principles that he has, with the intensity he plays, what he did with his former club he did a really great job. So, I'm really excited for what he will bring to the team.

"With Bournemouth it's a really great job. When we played against them it was always a tough game, so I think he did a really good job and hopefully he can do it here as well."

Gravenberch also reflected on his performance last term and is aiming for personal improvement when the season begins for the Reds at Newcastle on 23 August.

He told Liverpool's website: "If I look back to last season, it was not the best season I had as well. And I want to show myself this season more and more.

"I want to be more of a leader now for the team, I think. So that's what my aim is this season."

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

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Milos Kerkez says he is "delighted" that Andoni Iraola got the Liverpool job, having previously worked with the Basque coach at Bournemouth.

Kerkez, 22, played under Iraola between 2023 and 2025 before moving to Anfield last summer.

"I was delighted, honestly," Kerkez told reporters. "I worked for him before, and he helped me and improved me a lot in the two years that I spent with him. I was really happy, obviously for myself but also for the team. Everyone knows what type of football he plays, so I think he is the perfect fit for us."

On Iraola's style of play and what Liverpool fans can expect, the Hungarian left-back added: "He's all about intensity. He's not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and to be on the front foot always. If you see footage of how we all are after training, all lying down, then you can see what he is preparing us for. You definitely need legs and good condition for what he wants us to do, but we will be alright.

"The gaffer likes to play more with the full-backs down the line - underlapping, overlapping. It worked well for me at Bournemouth, so I think it will also work well for me here. He always told me that as a full-back, you need to defend hard and everything that you do in front is a bonus.

"I was always focused on defending and then running forward to help the wingers. He showed me that when you do your job, you're free then to do what you want. I felt really free with him. I know what it means to play for Liverpool. I showed it a bit last year and I am going to show it more this year."

Kerkez and Liverpool began pre-season under Iraola with a 4-2 win over Sunderland on Saturday. The Reds take on Wrexham in New York City on Wednesday evening before concluding their pre-season tour of the USA with a game against Leeds in Chicago on Sunday.

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The Redmen TV's Luke Fury discussed Liverpool's reported interest in PSG winger Bradley Barcola on BBC Radio Merseyside's Total Sport show..

The Champions League holders reportedly want £140m for the 23-year-old.

"Yes I would definitely have him," Fury said. "£145m is extortionate. Just to put that into perspective, we paid £125m for Isak. Barcola and Isak are similar profiles, I'd argue the Isak deal was bigger. Barcola has played 46 matches for PSG this season. He's got 13 goals and seven assists. Three goals and one assist at the World Cup. He's not much of a creator, he's more of a finisher.

"Some people think he's wasteful, but when you think about Liverpool's performance on Saturday, Kieran Morrison getting in behind with Lewis Koumas - if that's how we're playing, Barcola definitely suits Liverpool."

Listen on BBC Sounds or hit play below

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

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From the outside, Liverpool's failure to seal a move for Marc Guehi last summer looks even more interesting now.

They have a buyback clause with Jarell Quansah, who left for Bayer Leverkusen for £35m last July, but there are no current plans for Quansah to return.

Sources stress that if Liverpool bring in Bradley Barcola, who Paris St-Germain value in excess of £100m, then there will be limitations to what more they can do in the market.

Deals for Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz have cost a combined £94.5m.

Without any major outgoings from Andoni Iraola's squad, there is an understanding that this summer will not be like last summer, when a club record £450m was spent.

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, who scored 183 times for the Reds, said: "When you look at Liverpool across the past decade, one of the problems that we've had is that the first XI is more than capable but the argument that people have is the squad depth.

"I'm a big believer in getting the squad right because it gives everyone a lift and keeps people on their toes, knowing that if you're not performing, someone else could do the job.

"Go back to the days of Phil Neal and he'll tell you stories about how players would never want to get injured because they knew that if someone else came, they wouldn't get their place back.

"You need that mentality and I think that has a real knock-on effect on standards."

In six months from last summer through to January 2026, Liverpool agreed deals for five centre-backs who were aged 20 or under at the time - Giovanni Leoni, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Noah Adekoya and Jacquet.

It is worth noting that Ndukwe, who was impressive against Sunderland in Nashville, must go out on loan this year as he does not yet meet the criteria for a UK work permit.

The long-term potential of centre-backs is not a concern at Anfield but experience is in short supply - a glaring gap in this Liverpool squad and one that needs to be addressed.

Paris St-Germain and Senegal forward Ibrahim Mbaye has been offered to both Liverpool and Manchester City after his agents made it clear the 18-year-old will not be joining Aston Villa this summer. (Teamtalk), external

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English football is set to implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season, BBC Sport can reveal.

The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure, pending permission from the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

Earlier this year, Ifab decided against changing the law and invited leagues to volunteer for trials.

Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue. It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the field.

If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute, telling the fourth official of their choice.

If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field.

Read more on the trial

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We asked for your views on Federico Chiesa's future at Anfied.

Here are some of your comments:

Phil: I love Chiesa but just like Joe Gomez he's always injured. We need players who are available for the majority of games so we can get consistency.

David: We should keep him and hopefully give him more chances. I think he could do a good job for the team.

Mick: He was only a bit-part player under Arne Slot, and in my opinion should have played more minutes. I hope the hierarchy keep him. We have definitely not seen his best, yet!

Adam: Chiesa seems to always be positive and get on well with his team-mates, plus he clearly loves the club. I wanted him to be our new Divock Origi but he hasn't really been given the chance yet. I hope he does as he's clearly got the drive and determination.

Kevin: Stay. I prefer a player that wants to play for Liverpool than a player that is only playing for money - you know that he will put a shift in every game.

Carl: Difficult call as I don't think Federico has had a fair crack of the whip with minutes, particularly from Slot. Personally I would keep and play him more, he is a classy player and, importantly, I think he will suit our style of play.

Paul: Liverpool should keep Chiesa, he puts in 100% every time he plays, he's a great player and would benefit from an injury-free run of games to show his quality and value.

Peter: Absolutely keep him. If Andoni Iraola shows faith in him and deploys him regularly I believe we will discover what a very useful player he is. He is sharp, fast-paced, with an eye for goal and intelligent moves and positioning. A hidden gem unrecognised by Slot.

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Milos Kerkez expects Liverpool to return to a full-throttle style of play under new head coach Andoni Iraola.

The Reds were known for 'heavy metal' football under Jurgen Klopp, with some fans frustrated at a drop in intensity under Arne Slot - who was sacked at the end of last season despite winning the Premier League in his only other campaign at Anfield.

"I think the heavy Liverpool team that Liverpool used to be – press, front foot, everyone in front," the left-back told the club website, external. "Like I said, front-foot, full pressing.

"Anfield, obviously, is going to push us a lot, give us also that energy. When they see us pushing a lot, they're going to give us big support home and away.

"So the big difference is going to be, I think, the pressure, the pressing, the aggressiveness in our game this year."

Kerkez also said he is trying to mentor younger players on the club's US tour, where the Reds recorded a win over Sunderland on Saturday.

He added: "It's my fourth year in the Premier League. Obviously my first year was development, it was tough. I needed to get in the gym a bit more.

"That's normal when you come to the biggest league in the world – it is so far ahead of any league. You need to build that physicality, you need to build the legs.

"We're all helping the young lads. There is a lot of quality and we need to help them. They will improve.

"I'm really, really happy with everyone and we build on this."

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

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Federico Chiesa insists he is only "thinking about Liverpool" amid continued speculation over his future.

Across two seasons at Anfield under Arne Slot, the Italian forward has started one Premier League game and scored just five times in 50 appearances.

The 28-year-old, who is contracted until 2028, told La Gazzetta dello Sport, external in June: "If I don't find consistency in the Premier League, I'll have to look elsewhere."

But after scoring in the first friendly of the Andoni Iraola era on Saturday, when Liverpool claimed a 4-2 win over Sunderland, Chiesa said: "Right now, at the moment, I'm happy here at Liverpool.

"I love the club, I love the fans, I love everything. I'm doing the best I can to have a chance here - and then we will see.

"At the minute, the only thing I am thinking about is Liverpool."

When asked if a fresh start under Iraola is possible, he added: "I don't know, it is difficult to say. It is always a fresh start at the beginning of the season.

"Maybe there have been too many fresh starts, but I don't care. I'm trying to do my best for this new manager.

"Let us say it is a new chapter. There is a new manager and I have to focus on that."

What are your thoughts on Chiesa's future at Anfield? Should he be kept or moved on?

Get in touch with your views here

Follow Liverpool reporter Aadam Patel on BBC Sport

Paris St-Germain want £145m for 23-year-old France forward Bradley Barcola, with Liverpool and Arsenal interested. (Times - subscription required), external

Chelsea will demand a significant fee for Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, amid interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Saudi Arabian teams. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

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Liverpool started life under Andoni Iraola with a 4-2 win over Sunderland thanks to goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas.

But the Iraola era had initially got off to the worst possible start when Joe Gomez, who started the game as centre-back and captain, went down injured and was taken off in the eighth minute.

"Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe. We were happy because we were going through training without losing any players and unluckily for us we've lost Joe straight away," said Iraola, who was also without new signing Jeremy Jacquet - who plays centre-half - for the opening friendly of Liverpool's tour of the USA.

"With Jeremy we decided to take it easy with him. He's had a lot of months without playing and he's been training very well but we're going to take it easy with him," Iraola added. "He will play probably in the last game of this tour and he will have time to have minutes."

With Virgil van Dijk given extra time off following the Netherlands' World Cup campaign, it meant that two teenage centre-backs held the line until the 68th minute.

Mor Talla N'diaye, 18, and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, 18, made their debuts and both performed admirably given the situation but neither can be expected to feature regularly yet. Meanwhile, Giovanni Leoni, 19, is still undergoing individual training as he works his way back from a severe ACL tear.

Iraola said earlier in the week that his squad was "very thin" defensively. Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, was in Nashville for the game and if he wasn't aware already, seeing Gomez trudge off must have underlined how they are desperately short when it comes to experience in the centre-back department.