Liverpool make extraordinary transfer u-turn and revive deal everyone thought was off

Liverpool's transfer window may finally heat up again as plans to reignite their pursuit of a top target have emerged.

Despite many promises of an exciting and busy summer transfer window, Liverpool have so far been quiet in their first opportunity to sign new players for Andoni Iraola's squad.

After spending €40million (£34.6m) to trigger the release clause of Osasuna winger Victor Munoz, Liverpool's only other signing this summer has been struggling Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, who joined on a season-long loan this month.

Throughout the window, Liverpool have been strongly linked with moves for a new forward as the club looks to find a player who can attempt to replace club legend Mohamed Salah, who left at the end of the 2025/26 season.

It's no secret that the club views Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola as this player, with the Reds seemingly going all out to sign the Frenchman before the window shuts on September 1.

As it stands, PSG have set their stall out at an eye-watering £145m, while Liverpool are reluctant to go above £120m, leaving the pursuit at somewhat of a stalemate and forcing Liverpool to consider other options up front, including Barcola's teammate Ibrahim Mbaye.

However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has suggested that any move for Mbaye was now 'off' with PSG’s asking price deemed to be ‘too expensive', with later reports claiming the demands could be around €50m (£43m).

But now, an update from L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi has claimed that Liverpool’s move for Mbaye is not off, and in fact will table an opening bid for the 18-year-old in the coming days.

Tanzi does not reveal exactly how much this bid is expected to be, but it could point to Liverpool beginning a more dedicated push to sign Mbaye ahead of any potential deal for Barcola.

And with reports widely claiming that Mbaye is open to the move, it could be a relatively easy deal to close should PSG accept Liverpool's first, or any later bids.

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Will Liverpool sign Bradley Barcola?

Of course, if Liverpool were to sign Mbaye in the near future, it would raise questions about any plans to continue pursuing Barcola before the window closes.

As it stands, it appears that any plans to sign both of the PSG wingers could hinge on the future of current Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.

The Dutchman has been strongly linked with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur throughout the summer, with Gakpo reportedly open to the move, having been told he won't be a regular starter under Iraola

If Liverpool agreed to sell Gakpo to Spurs this summer, it has been reported that they would only do so for a fee of around £70m, about double what they paid when signing him from PSV back in December 2022.

Gakpo has made 180 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 50 goals and assisting 23 across four seasons, including the title-winning 2024/25 campaign under Arne Slot.