There is a growing sense that this Liverpool summer is going to be anything but straightforward. The pieces are moving, the names are getting bigger, and a familiar truth about transfer windows is starting to assert itself — you often have to sell before you can buy.

Bradley Barcola remains firmly in the picture at Anfield, with the 23-year-old having made it known to Paris Saint-Germain that he has no intention of signing a new contract with the Champions League holders. More significantly, it has emerged that the France international is open to joining Liverpool. That is a serious statement of intent from a player at the top of his game.

The obstacle, as ever, is the price. PSG are believed to be valuing Barcola at around £140m, a figure that would give any club pause for thought. Liverpool's reported approach is to seek a compromise on that valuation, which feels sensible — but compromise in transfer negotiations rarely comes quickly or easily.

Here is where it gets more complicated. French journalist outlet Onze Mondial has made the case that Barcola's arrival at Anfield is essentially contingent on Cody Gakpo departing first. Their assessment is blunt: the Gakpo sale is essential to getting any Barcola deal over the line. Tottenham Hotspur have been mentioned in connection with the Dutch forward in recent weeks, though there is nothing in the current reporting to suggest Liverpool are ready to let him go or that any formal offer has been made.

It creates an interesting dynamic. Gakpo has been a significant contributor since arriving at Liverpool, and the idea of using him as a financial stepping stone to a younger attacker will not sit easily with everyone. But this is how elite clubs operate. Squad evolution sometimes demands difficult decisions, and if Barcola is the priority, the Reds will likely need to raise funds to make the economics work.

If the Barcola situation was not enough to be getting on with, Liverpool are also among a clutch of clubs monitoring Ibrahim Mbaye at PSG. According to RMC Sport, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have all made enquiries about the young winger's situation in recent weeks, with Liverpool in the mix as well. PSG are reportedly holding firm at a fee in excess of €50m for Mbaye, which — given the competition for his signature — they may well achieve.

Two PSG wingers on Liverpool's radar simultaneously tells its own story about where the club sees its recruitment priorities this summer. Whether that focus on wide attacking players reflects a specific tactical need or simply where the best available talent happens to reside is a question worth sitting with.

Then there is the headline that will make every Liverpool supporter do a double take. Vinicius Junior's future at Real Madrid is reportedly uncertain, and the 26-year-old's contract at the Bernabeu expires next summer. Arsenal have been linked with an ambitious move to bring the Brazilian to the Emirates Stadium.

But the detail that will capture every Kopite's attention comes from journalist Ramon Alvarez de Mon, who has claimed on his YouTube channel that Liverpool were the only club to respond positively when contacted by Vinicius' representatives. That is some claim. The forward has scored 128 goals and contributed 100 assists across 378 appearances for Real Madrid — numbers that belong in a conversation about the very best players on the planet.

Real Madrid, for their part, are believed to want to extend Vinicius' deal, so this remains very much in the realm of speculation. But the fact that it is being reported at all — and that Liverpool's name is attached to a positive response — suggests the Reds are operating with considerable ambition this window.

On the confirmed business front, Liverpool have already moved quickly to bring in Victor Munoz from Osasuna, hijacking Newcastle United's deal for the Spanish international in a piece of transfer business that signalled Anfield is not standing still.

The summer is young, the rumours are swirling, and the window has barely opened. If even a fraction of what is being discussed comes to fruition, this could be the most consequential transfer window Liverpool have had in years.