Bayern Munich miss out on Barcola as Liverpool seal £123m deal

Liverpool confirmed the £123 million signing of French winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint‑Germain this summer, completing the deal after a brief flirtation with Bayern Munich and amid interest from Barcelona.

Why Bayern Munich eyed Barcola

Max Eberl, Bayern Munich’s board member for sport, told Sport that the club had explored a move for Barcola this summer. He recalled knowing the Frenchman from his time at RB Leipzig and said there had always been interest in bringing him to the German side. Ultimately, Bayern were priced out of a summer deal, leaving the transfer to Liverpool.

Liverpool’s hierarchy began rebuilding after Mohamed Salah’s nine‑year spell on Merseyside ended last season, creating a vacancy left by the Egyptian’s departure. Barcola, a two‑time Champions League winner with Paris Saint‑Germain, emerged as the Reds’ primary target and the player himself expressed a strong desire to join Anfield. Arsenal and Bayern Munich were also linked, but Liverpool remained at the front of the queue as the deadline approached.

Kane’s stay at Bayern forces Barcelona to chase Haaland

Barcola made his Liverpool debut in a 2‑0 victory away to Ipswich, replacing fellow summer signing Victor Munoz with thirty minutes left at Portman Road. He earned his first start in the Champions League group stage as Andoni Iraola’s side beat Atletico Madrid 2‑1, but was forced off with cramp ten minutes after Alexis Mac Allister’s decisive strike. The signing was announced with a Picture: PA accompanying the club’s statement.

Implications for Liverpool and Bayern

The £123 million fee makes Barcola the second‑most expensive player in Liverpool’s history, behind Alexander Isak. Eberl admitted the sum was “too much for us”, noting that Liverpool had already spent heavily on Luis Diaz on a different scale. For Liverpool, Barcola offers a direct replacement for Salah’s attacking output and adds Champions League experience to a refreshed squad. Bayern, having also considered Anthony Gordon before the Englishman joined Barcelona for £69 million, will need to redirect their search after being priced out of the Barcola deal.

This summer Bayern added Ismael Saibari, Nathaniel Brown and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye to their first‑team roster, while several players such as Joao Palhinha and Daniel Peretz departed the Allianz Arena.