Liverpool agreement denied but Arsenal lag behind for signing

Liverpool agreement denied but Arsenal lag behind for signing New reports have denied that Bradley Barcola has reached a contract agreement with Liverpool, but confirmed that the Paris Saint-Germain winger is prioritising the Merseyside club. Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images Contrary to the other reports from France on Tuesday, Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport claims Bradley Barcola hasn’t reached a contract agreement with Liverpool. Yet Hawkins adds that Barcola has made Liverpool his priority if he leaves Paris Saint-Germain, so it seems such an agreement would be largely a formality. Mario Cortegana had reported for The Athletic this week that Arsenal have shown interest in Barcola, but the Gunners are prioritising a possible move for Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid. Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images By contrast, Liverpool have made Barcola their top target, and they’re pushing ahead with the potential transfer. Such a fee agreement is a long way off at this stage. The Athletic report that PSG want at least €170m (£145.4m) for Barcola, a huge valuation. L’Equipe add that Liverpool have opened talks with PSG, but the French club are remaining firm on their financial demands, leading to a significant valuation gap between the two. The upside of those stalling negotiations from an Arsenal perspective is that it’s unlikely Liverpool will be able to quickly secure a deal while the Gunners wait on Vinicius’ contract extension decision. Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images The concern is that if Vinicius opts to stay at Real Madrid, Arsenal will then be lagging significantly behind Liverpool in the race for Barcola. Even if PSG then lower their demands and Arsenal are willing to match whatever Liverpool will pay, Barcola is evidently going to prioritise the club that prioritised him. If Arsenal’s move for Vinicius doesn’t come off, having already missed out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, and with Barcola favouring Liverpool, it’s not clear where the club would turn next for a top attacking addition. Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images