Liverpool’s search for a new winger is sharpening around one clear name, Bradley Barcola, but the figures attached to him may force a rethink. Paris Saint-Germain are understood to be reluctant sellers and could demand about £145 million ($193 million), a fee that would likely rule the move out and push Liverpool toward more affordable alternatives.

That is why the Reds are being linked with several lower-cost options. The need is obvious: summer business cannot be focused on one position alone, so any wide signing has to make financial sense as well as football sense.

Maghnes Akliouche is one of the most practical names in the frame. Liverpool have already been linked with the Monaco winger, who has also drawn attention from PSG. At 24, with three senior seasons behind him, he fits the profile of a right-sided winger with a left foot, the kind of player who could step into Mohamed Salah’s area of the pitch. His output over the last two campaigns, 14 goals and 22 assists in all competitions, underlines his creative value. A fee just below £43 million ($57.2 million) would make him far cheaper than Barcola.

Rafael Leão brings greater star power, but also more uncertainty. The Milan forward, now 27, wants to leave San Siro after seven seasons. His record is strong, with double figures for both goals and assists across four of the last five campaigns, but his wages would be higher and his form less predictable.

Another name in the conversation is Rayan. The 19-year-old has a reported £130 million ($173 million) release clause that becomes active in January 2027, though Liverpool could try to negotiate earlier. He scored five goals and made two assists in 15 Bournemouth appearances last season.

Said El Mala is a more manageable option. Brentford had already agreed a £42.7 million ($56.9 million) deal for him earlier in the year before he turned it down. The Germany international delivered 13 goals and four assists for Köln last season.

Yankuba Minteh completes the group. The Brighton winger has 19 Premier League goal involvements in two seasons and, at 22, offers pace and physical threat that could appeal strongly if Liverpool move on from Barcola.

Real Madrid’s situation with Vinícius Júnior has become one of the most watched contract stories in the game, even if the forward has tried to keep the focus elsewhere. Madrid were not first in line when they pursued him as a teenager with Flamengo, but they did eventually secure the Brazil international and later locked him into fresh terms, first agreed in the summer of 2023 and running until June 30, 2027.

What makes the matter more significant now is the timing. With less than 12 months left on the contract, his future has become a genuine point of interest, and the standoff has even prompted Arsenal to explore the possibility of a move. His salary has long been a talking point, although it was never a defining feature of his rise at Real Madrid. During the 2022 Champions League title run, he was reportedly among the five lowest earners in the squad.

Reports in Spain have suggested the 26-year-old earns between $17.1 million and $19.4 million after tax each year, or roughly $600,000 gross per week. BBC Sport, however, have stated that the true value of the deal is “considerably more.” Performance bonuses and endorsement agreements can raise the overall figure further, but he is still believed to be seeking improved terms.

The first serious figures emerged in 2025, when his camp was said to be seeking a package on the level of Cristiano Ronaldo’s club-record wages. More recently, reports in Spain have claimed that Vinícius Jr has reduced that demand to around €20 million net per season, a figure closer to Kylian Mbappé’s earnings. The renewal bonus remains a separate issue and one that is expected to trouble Real Madrid’s hierarchy.

Despite the noise, Vinícius Jr has repeatedly stressed his commitment. “I’ve never imagined myself away from Real Madrid,” he said after the 2025-26 season. “I make the most of every moment that I am here because it is the club of my dreams.

“I enjoy every moment, I want to continue playing here my whole life.”

He also added: “I am also not in a rush to renew my contract. We have an agreement until 2027, so until then we have a lot to talk about with Real Madrid, and Real Madrid with us. The club is calm about it, I’m calm, the president trusts me and I trust him. That’s all there is to it.”

Chelsea are said to be “optimistic” about a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck, with the club now “explore” a transfer for the 35-year-old. The Athletic have confirmed that discussions with Brighton are at an early stage, even as Chelsea continue to be linked with other experienced names, including free agent John Stones and Brentford veteran Jordan Henderson.

Welbeck’s case is built on form, experience and value. The former Arsenal and Manchester United centre forward has settled well on the south coast and produced 13 Premier League goals last season, following 10 in the previous campaign. For a player in the latter stages of his career, that remains a strong return and one that helps explain why Chelsea are considering him.

Alonso is believed to see Welbeck as a “player and leader”, someone who could guide a younger squad while still contributing on the pitch. If the move happened, Welbeck would follow a familiar route from Brighton to Stamford Bridge, with Robert Sánchez, João Pedro and Moisés Caicedo already part of the current squad after leaving the same club.

The approach would sit outside Chelsea’s usual transfer model, which has generally focused on collecting some of the game’s most sought-after young players. Even so, Welbeck could offer qualities the squad has lacked. He is a penalty-box striker who can provide goals, particularly off the bench, and the numbers from last season support that view. Only eight players scored more in the Premier League, while Pedro was the only Chelsea player to finish above him. Among players who attempted at least 30 shots, only four had a better conversion rate than Welbeck’s 23%.

There is also the question of cost. With just 12 months left on his Brighton contract, he could be a relatively inexpensive option, although no fee has been reported. Beyond that, he brings knowledge of the demands placed on players at a traditional “Big Six” club and offers leadership in a dressing room where the oldest squad members are 28.

Chelsea’s forward picture remains unsettled. Pedro is the current first-choice No. 9 after a 20-goal debut season and will be fresh after being left out of Brazil’s World Cup squad. Nicolas Jackson, back from a loan spell at Bayern Munich in which he scored 11 times, is expected to get a chance in preseason. But his future, like those of Marc Guiu, Liam Delap and Emmanuel Emegha, is uncertain.