Liverpool transfer news today: Bradley Barcola hint dropped amid £45m Man United battle

Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live Liverpool transfer news blog on Thursday, August 13!

Andoni Iraola's side have Como in their sights as they continue their preparations for Sunday's friendly, for which the Spaniard will likely possess a near-identical squad to the one that suffered defeat to Monaco as attacking activity fails to pick up.

Stay entirely up to date with the latest Liverpool done deals and rumours with our social-led live blog below!

Today's Liverpool transfer headlines

Bradley Barcola future hint dropped after Super Cup

Man United to rival Liverpool for £45m attacking target

Liverpool transfer news today: What's happening on August 13?

The biggest signal yet that Barcola's exit from Paris Saint-Germain is imminent arrived on the night of August 12 when the France international was left out of the squad entirely for PSG's 2-1 UEFA Super Cup win over Aston Villa in Salzburg, where goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue completed the victory.

PSG chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi was subsequently asked about Barcola's future and declined to rule out a sale, telling French broadcaster Canal Plus: "We're working calmly, we don't talk too much, we do. I can't say whether he will leave or not. Today, he is a PSG player. We'll see!"

The omission and the chairman's refusal to commit to keeping Barcola were read across the market as confirmation that his departure is now a genuine possibility, with Liverpool understood to remain the primary destination.

The Reds are simultaneously applying pressure of their own, having held talks with Iliman Ndiaye's representatives over a potential £75m move for the Everton winger as a contingency option should the Barcola negotiations fail to reach a conclusion before the season begins.

Ndiaye has turned down a move to Saudi Arabia and is said to prefer remaining in the Premier League, though Everton are not actively looking to sell a player to their closest rivals and any deal would carry additional complexity given the clubs' proximity.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also said to hold interest in Ndiaye, meaning Liverpool face genuine competition should they accelerate their pursuit, and the Red Devils are also after another £45m-rated winger who has caught Iraola's eye.

A separate concern for Andoni Iraola is the situation of Curtis Jones, whose potential £35m exit to Inter Milan could leave the squad short of midfield cover before the season begins on August 23 at Newcastle.