Bradley Barcola has been urged to resist the temptation of a big-money move to Liverpool and instead continue his career at Paris Saint-Germain. The France international is one of several players being considered by the Reds as they look to fill the breach left by the departure of Mohamed Salah on a free transfer at the end of last season.
Liverpool's Interest in Barcola
Liverpool have turned their attentions to the winger, who is currently with France at the World Cup, having seen RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande prefer a move to PSG. Despite the potential arrival of Diomande, the European champions are insistent they have no desire to sell Barcola and value the 23-year-old in excess of £100 million.
Arsenal have also been linked with the forward, who has started three of five games for France at the World Cup, including both knockout round ties.
Desailly Advises Patience
Former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly has insisted Barcola should stay at PSG to continue his development. Speaking to sportscasting.com, Desailly said: "Barcola doesn't need to leave PSG. He's too young. (France national team head coach) Didier Deschamps is teaching him a lesson and he's giving him a chance. I thought that for Barcola to start and play 90 minutes at the international level, he wouldn't do it because Barcola is too light on defensive discipline."
Desailly added: "Remember, we play with four offensive players, and bringing Barcola into the system could have been another weakness because he doesn't make the effort to defend. When you look at his previous matches with PSG, or even some of the matches he did for the national team during the Euros, he had that weakness. He's young; the attention and defensive alertness isn't there to match the speed he projects when he's going forward. He wasn't making the effort to get back into position."
Growth and Future Prospects
Desailly acknowledged Barcola's progress, saying: "So he's growing, he's learning, and he's getting that winning mentality on both sides of the game – being available for the team structurally without the ball while also being the one who makes the difference, just as the older players are doing. So, should he move to the Premier League? Not yet. Not yet at all. Sorry Arsenal and Liverpool fans. He should stay at Paris Saint-Germain, play 25 games a season, and grow within that system."
