Liverpool are accelerating their transfer activity under new head coach Andoni Iraola as they look to rebuild a frontline that underperformed badly last season.
The Reds endured a disastrous 2025/26 campaign, finishing fifth in the Premier League and only just securing Champions League football for the following season.
That poor run of form ultimately cost Arne Slot his job after two years in charge, with the Spaniard Iraola brought in to restore the club to the top of English football.
Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson were among the high-profile departures that followed the disappointing season, leaving significant gaps in quality across the pitch.
FSG have already moved to address those gaps, with Victor Munoz arriving from Osasuna in a £35.5m deal last month, but bigger business is clearly being targeted.
Monaco attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche has attracted Liverpool’s attention, with the club making an initial approach for the 24-year-old this week despite Paris Saint-Germain sitting in pole position for his signature.
Analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson has hailed Akliouche as a “ridiculous” technician, and the Frenchman recorded six goals and six assists in Ligue 1 last season, functioning primarily as a clever interconnecting playmaker rather than a direct goalscorer.
However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool’s true primary target this summer is PSG winger Bradley Barcola, with the club described as firmly leading the race for the France international.
Romano was unambiguous about Liverpool’s desire to complete the deal, stating: “Barcola is the top, top target for Liverpool. Liverpool love Barcola. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible financially, but what I can tell you is that Liverpool remain super keen on Barcola.”
Arsenal are also monitoring the situation, particularly after missing out on Morgan Rogers, who completed a move to Chelsea, though the current indicators point strongly toward Merseyside as Barcola’s next destination.
PSG have so far resisted selling the 23-year-old, hoping instead to tie him down to a new contract, but those negotiations have proven difficult as Liverpool continue to apply pressure.
FSG are expected to need to surpass the £100m mark if they are to stand any chance of prising Barcola away from the French champions this summer.
Barcola delivered an outstanding World Cup for France, continuing a rich vein of form that has seen him register 62 goal involvements across the past two club seasons.
Liverpool writer Dave Hendrick has gone as far as describing the PSG star as the “closest thing to Salah” available on the market right now, a significant endorsement given the scale of the task facing Iraola’s side.
Barcola’s versatility adds further appeal, as the winger has operated on the left, right, and centrally during his time at PSG, giving Iraola tactical flexibility when constructing his attacking setup.
Mattinson has also described Barcola as “one of the best left wingers in the world,” reinforcing the widely held view that signing him would represent a major statement of intent from Liverpool’s hierarchy.
With Hugo Ekitike still recovering from an Achilles injury and Alexander Isak needing to bounce back from a difficult debut season at Anfield, adding elite attacking quality is a pressing priority for the club this summer.