Bradley Barcola's former coach has revealed his Liverpool ties from a young age as the Reds continue talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential transfer for the winger
Bradley BARCOLA of PSG during UEFA Champions League match between Paris and Chelsea at Parc des Princes on March 11, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Johnny Fidelin/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Bradley Barcola's former coach has opened up about the winger's ties to Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Bradley Barcola's former coach has revealed the PSG winger has had ties to Liverpool from a young age as talks continue over a potential move to Anfield.
The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from PSG this summer, with Liverpool emerging as the frontrunners for his signature. The situation has intensified since Barcola rejected a contract extension.
With two years remaining on his current deal, PSG is now weighing up whether to cash in on the winger rather than risk losing him later in his contract. The European champions have also strengthened their attack with three new additions since Barcola's decision, further increasing speculation that he could leave Paris this summer.
Former Lyon academy coach Amaury Barlet revealed that the Liverpool target followed the Reds closely during his younger years. Speaking about the winger's ambitions, he also highlighted the significant potential still to be unlocked in the 23-year-old.
“He is still a very young player and has a huge amount of room for improvement. When he was younger, he followed Liverpool FC a lot". Barlet told Redmen TV. "That club was always somewhere in the back of his mind.”
Barlet has recalled his first impressions of the winger during his time at Olympique Lyonnais, revealing that the Liverpool target showed an instinct for scoring goals from a young age.
The coach first worked with Barcola when he was involved with Lyon's U12 and U13 age groups, while the winger was playing for the U11s. He described Barcola as a natural goalscorer capable of finding the net in a variety of ways, while also highlighting his ability to dribble past opponents and create openings.
Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint Germain during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC
Bradley Barcola could join Liverpool in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window(Image: (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images))
Most notably, Barcola's love of football and natural attacking instincts stood out from the beginning, with his former coach praising his ability to take players on and consistently threaten in front of goal. Barlet added: “The first time I met Bradley Barcola was when I started coaching at Olympique Lyonnais, with the U12 and U13 age groups. Bradley was playing with the U11s at the time. He was already a striker with a real instinct for goal.
"He could score from so many different positions and in so many different ways spontaneously after a dribble, with acrobatic finishes, and sometimes in situations where you wouldn’t necessarily expect a goal. What struck me straight away was that he always loved playing football. He had that natural ability to create imbalance, to take players on, and above all, a real sense for scoring goals.”
Liverpool is said to have submitted an improved €135 million ($158 million) bid to PSG for Barcola as they step up their pursuit of the France international. Barcola is reportedly keen on a move to Anfield, while the Reds have significantly increased their offer after previous proposals were understood to be worth just over €100 million ($115 million).
Liverpool's latest bid is aimed at convincing PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to sanction Barcola's departure, with the Reds hoping their improved proposal can finally move negotiations towards an agreement.