Liverpool have received a significant update on the future of PSG and France winger Bradley Barcola, while their pursuit of another PSG player, Ibrahim Mbaye, has reportedly ended.
Barcola's future uncertain
PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has refused to rule out Barcola leaving the club this summer. After PSG beat Aston Villa 2-1 in Salzburg in the UEFA Super Cup final, a game for which Barcola remained on the bench for the duration, al-Khelaifi told beinSPORTS: “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!”
PSG boss Luis Enrique was similarly non-committal ahead of the game in Austria. “I don't know and I don't want to speak about any player individually,” he said when asked about the 23-year-old’s future at the Parc des Princes. “Because it's always dangerous when you are asking something positive or negative about a player. I stay focused on my team.”
Transfer fee and interest
The European champions are believed to want around £145 million for the French international winger. Liverpool, however, are said to be eager to strike a compromise on the fee. Coughing up £145m would make Barcola the Reds' most expensive player in their history, surpassing the £125m they paid for Alexander Isak last summer.
Barcola joined PSG from Lyon in 2023 for £38.5m. He has won three Ligue 1 titles, the French Cup twice, two Champions League titles, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
Mbaye transfer 'off'
Liverpool have cooled their interest in Mbaye after learning that a combined deal, to bring him and Barcola to Anfield, could cost around £171m. Mbaye is capable of operating on either wing, but regular minutes in Paris have been hard to come by due to Enrique's preference for Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Barcola. Like the latter, he was also an unused substitute in the Super Cup win over Villa.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed Liverpool have now stepped away from a potential deal after holding talks with Mbaye's agent, Jorge Mendes. PSG are believed to have set an asking price for Mbaye between £34m and £42m, a range the Reds reportedly deem too steep.
Liverpool are believed to be in for two new wingers this window. Left-sided forward Cody Gakpo has been linked with a move to Tottenham, which could have a significant say on the remainder of Liverpool's transfer business this summer.
