Liverpool transfer news
Bradley Barcola transfer news: Desailly tells PSG star to ignore Arsenal
Bradley Barcola transfer news: Arsenal and Liverpool can forget about Bradley Barcola. At least according to one man who knows French football better than most. Marcel Desailly, the World Cup-winning defender, has delivered a blunt verdict on the PSG winger’s future. His advice? Stay put in Paris. Do not chase a move to the Premier League this summer. As the gossip columns continue to spin, that opinion carries genuine weight.
Barcola’s situation in the French capital is messy. He played 49 games across all competitions last season, chipping in with 13 goals and seven assists. Yet, his place in Luis Enrique’s starting XI was never nailed down. Now, the French champions are closing in on RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande. It is a signing that threatens to push Barcola further down the pecking order. PSG’s attacking options are already ridiculous. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué are all fighting for spots. It is a crowded frontline by any measure.
Why the Premier League interest is spiking
That squeeze on minutes is exactly why the winger reportedly told PSG he wants out. Word from football.london suggests Arsenal is his preferred destination. Barcola apparently fancies working under Mikel Arteta and living in London over a move to Merseyside. Liverpool are definitely still sniffing around, a fact backed up by Fabrizio Romano, but the Gunners are leading the chase. The stumbling block is the money. PSG’s asking price is eye-watering. Reports from The Athletic put the figure at a massive £116m, and earlier offers from rival clubs have already been knocked back.
Desailly’s comments, made in an interview with Sportscasting, were completely unambiguous.
“Barcola doesn’t need to leave PSG,” he said. “He’s too young. He’s only 23. Didier Deschamps is teaching him a lesson and giving him a chance.”
The former Chelsea defender admitted he never expected Deschamps to hand Barcola a starring role at this World Cup. He pointed directly to the winger’s lack of defensive discipline. It is a weakness visible in both his PSG appearances and France’s Euro campaign.
“He wasn’t making the effort to get back into position,” Desailly added. “His attention and defensive alertness aren’t there to match the speed he projects going forward.”
The final conclusion was a proper reality check: “Not yet. Not yet at all. Sorry, Arsenal and Liverpool fans.”
Supporters in North London and Anfield might look at the data and disagree. Barcola has scored two goals and bagged an assist in five appearances for France at the 2026 World Cup so far. That includes a neat finish against Senegal and another in the 3-0 thumping of Sweden in the round of 16. Next up is Morocco in the quarter-finals. His impact from both the start and off the bench has been sharp.
Read: Arsenal and Liverpool set for transfer race to sign £85m French World Cup star
For Arteta, the logic is sound. Arsenal need more depth up top after losing the Champions League final to PSG. Barcola actually came on as a substitute for the Parisians in that game. Buying the player who just helped deny you a European Cup makes a lot of sense. The transfer window hinges on whether PSG will lower that ridiculous valuation, and if the player himself decides to force the issue.
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