Paris Saint-Germain are to open talks over a new and improved deal for Bradley Barcola and three of his teammates, with Luis Enrique’s determination to keep the divisive winger likely to put the brakes on confirmed interest from Liverpool in the star.
The 23-year-old is regarded as one of the most talented young players in France, having established himself as a player of real quality since moving to the Parc des Princes from Lyon in the summer of 2023. Costing PSG a €45m fee at the time, Barcola is contracted to the reigning European champions until 2028.
During that time, Barcola has scored 29 goals and added 32 assists from 112 appearances – a G/A every 1.83 appearances – and marking him as a player of serious threat to opponents.
However, the signing of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the January window has seen the 16-times capped France winger drop from being a regular in Luis Enrique’s side to one being rotated.
And with Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembele, an indispensable member of the side, Barcola has had to fight for his place with another prodigious young talent in Desire Doue.
That battle for a regular place, coupled with his sometimes frustrating lack of consistency, sparked an amusing anecdote from Enrique, who, in pleading for a better output from the star, said: “Today he is God and tomorrow he’s the devil. Please, raise the level.”
Despite that, according to L’Equipe, the message from Enrique is clear. Per the French newspaper, PSG are now ready to offer Barcola a new deal that not only extends his stay, but also one that catapults his salary into among the club’s biggest earners.
And the winger is one of four players that PSG are hoping to offer fresh terms to, as the French champions look to nail down four of their most important stars and ward off interest from a series of top clubs….
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What Barcola extension means for Liverpool as interest is confirmed
Indeed, alongside Barcola, PSG are looking to offer fresh terms to Willian Pacho, Senny Mayulu and Fabian Ruiz, having held talks with the representatives of all four players and with the aim of extending their stays before the end of the current campaign.
Moves to secure the extensions are being led by club president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and football advisor, Luis Campos.
For Barcola, the new deal will all but end speculation that a big-money move away from the French capital was on the cards and amid links to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool – the latter, who reportedly see the player as a potential successor to Mo Salah.
The Reds’ interest in landing Barcola was recently confirmed by four sources, with Fabrizio Romano declaring the 22-year-old a “dream target” for Arne Slot,
Sky Sports journalist, Sacha Tavolieri, also claimed earlier this year that the Reds were ‘ready to make a concrete offer’ for his services.
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg also namedropped Barcola as a target for the Reds over the summer window, though he made it clear at the time that their focus remained on trying to prise Alexander Isak from Newcastle, a mission which, of course, was ultimately successful.
And most recently, transfer journalist Graeme Bailey mentioned Barcola as one of three targets Liverpool had to replace Salah on the wing, with the ‘endgame’ in sight for the Egyptian at Anfield.
However, news of Barcola’s potential extension, coupled with the Reds’ growing interest in a red-hot Premier League star, meant that interest had faded anyway in recent weeks.
Latest Liverpool news: Mac Allister shines in new Argentina role; Dortmund star ‘liked’
In other transfer news, Liverpool have been described as having a ‘serious interest’ in powerful Borussia Dortmund defender, Nico Schlotterbeck, and two sources appear to suggest he could now be emerging as their number one transfer target and with links to a top France star having been dampened.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid’s interest in Alexis Mac Allister has been further vindicated by the Liverpool midfielder’s superb performance for Argentina against Puerto Rico on international duty, while playing in a new position.
Finally, in one of the week’s more bizarre reports, Alexander Isak, is already being linked with the Anfield exit door amid stunning claims he could replace a legendary frontman at a European giant after just one season at Anfield – reports which we’ve been quick to dismiss.
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