Barcola: PSG open the door, but the price is steep
PSG are ready to sell Bradley Barcola. That is the headline. But Liverpool will have to pay big, £127m is the figure being quoted (1) (4). The 23-year-old winger fits what Andoni Iraola wants: pace, directness, exactly what your left side has been missing.
Heskey: 'Barcola would be an amazing coup'
Emile Heskey is on board. The former Liverpool striker has urged the club to beat Arsenal to Barcola's signature. "Signing Bradley Barcola would be an amazing coup for Liverpool because he provides the pace and directness we've been missing on the left wing," Heskey said (10). He is not wrong.
Klopp and the Mbappé plane that flew in circles
Jürgen Klopp has been telling the story again. In 2017, Liverpool flew a private jet from Blackpool to Nice, picked up Kylian Mbappé and his entire family, and flew around in circles so they could talk without being seen. Five-room private jet. Good food. "The most expensive non-transfer we ever invested in," Klopp said (9) (11) (12).
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Mbappé chose PSG. The only outcome that night? "My mobile phone was broken," Klopp recalled about his failed attempt with Ousmane Dembélé in Paris (7). Adrien Rabiot also slipped away that summer (7).
Wirtz: a first season that did not catch fire
Florian Wirtz arrived with a big reputation. His first season at Liverpool was unspectacular. Now Iraola faces a real decision: build around him or move on (2). The talent is not in question. The fit might be.
Right-back remains a problem area
Lewis Steele has called it plainly: right-back is a problem area for Liverpool (3). Andrei Ratiu is a name doing the rounds, but nothing concrete yet. Iraola knows it needs fixing before the season starts.
Midfield: Wharton on the radar
Adam Wharton remains a target. The Crystal Palace midfielder is on Liverpool's list as they search for midfield reinforcements, with Harvey Elliott's future also part of the conversation (5). Steele says Wharton "could be one" to watch (5).
Mac Allister: Mourinho wants him in Madrid
Real Madrid are circling. Reports out of Spain say José Mourinho wants Alexis Mac Allister at the Bernabéu (15). No bid yet. But the noise is there. After a solid campaign, losing him would hurt.
Fan reactions
The Klopp-Mbappé jet story has your fans laughing and wincing in equal measure. On the LiverpoolFC subreddit, supporters are marvelling at the absurdity of a five-room private jet flying in circles over France, and still losing out to PSG. One fan called it "the most expensive non-transfer ever invested in," echoing Klopp's own words. Read the full thread here.
