Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has refused to comment on the future of Liverpool transfer target Bradley Barcola, a development that could boost the Reds' chances of signing the French forward.
PSG's attacking reinforcements
The European champions are set to bring in three new attackers for over £100million without selling any regular starters. Maghnes Akliouche has already signed from AS Monaco, while Mika Godts is expected to join from Ajax. Barcelona's Ferran Torres is also a target, with that deal reportedly entering its final stages.
The influx of frontline players has fueled speculation that Barcola could be allowed to leave, but Enrique remained non-committal during his press conference ahead of the UEFA Super Cup final against Aston Villa.
Enrique's response
“I don’t know and I don’t want to speak about any player individually, because it’s always dangerous when you are asking something positive or negative about a player. I stay focused on my team,” the PSG boss said.
When asked about Torres, he added: “I’m not here to talk about the transfer market… only about the players who are currently at PSG.”
Barcola is under contract at the Parc des Princes until 2028, with PSG demanding a triple-figure proposal to sell. Reports in France suggest there is confidence an agreement over a fee can be reached, with personal terms already agreed.
Torres deal could be key
The Torres deal could prove pivotal to Liverpool's hopes of landing Barcola, with Barcelona boss Hansi Flick offering a similarly evasive response on the Spaniard's future.
“I respect the players' holidays and I do not have information,” Flick stated when asked directly if Torres would be departing for the French capital.
Barcelona have already done business with Liverpool this summer, with Ronald Araujo's loan announced on Monday. The Echo understands Liverpool will cover his entire salary, with no loan fee being paid.
Victor Munoz remains Liverpool's only permanent signing this summer, with a deal for Jeremy Jacquet agreed in February. Head coach Andoni Iraola spoke last month about the need for more signings.
“I think it is difficult to say a number. When the market is open, you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad,” he said. “There are obvious situations where we need to sign players. Winger for example, we definitely need to sign a winger, but there are other situations where we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what is the cost, how we also see the players we have. We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust, but it is still not the ideal situation, so it will depend on a lot of things.”
