When word started circulating on social media on Aug. 29 that Liverpool was closing in on a deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s midfielder Bradley Barcola — one of France’s biggest stars during the World Cup — Steve Douglas didn’t wait for an official announcement. Having spent the summer transfer window tracking Premier League club activity closely, Douglas recognized the significance of the chatter immediately and went to work on his Premier League sources to verify it. He came back with confirmation: Barcola was headed to Liverpool for $166 million. Douglas looped in colleague Sam Petrequin in Paris who found a second, independent source inside French soccer who confirmed both the transfer and the fee. That two-source, cross-border verification allowed AP to move on the story ahead of the pack, well before Liverpool and PSG confirmed the transfer officially on Aug. 31.
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