paris saint-germain luis enrique
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has opened up on why the Ligue 1 giants greenlit the sale of Bradley Barcola to Liverpool this week.
The Reds landed their marquee summer signing for a huge £123million at the end of the window, with the Champions League winner set to add real pedigree to Andoni Iraola's squad.
Barcola could make his debut against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Friday night, and will be vying to get in the starting XI. As unveiled by Enrique, a push for guaranteed playing time was at the heart of the transfer.
Luis Enrique: 'I wish Bradley Barcola all the best'
REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Barcola had not featured for PSG this season, before making the switch to Merseyside, and was in and out of the side last season. The forward completed 90 minutes on just eight occasions in all competitions across the 2025/26 campaign.
When asked about the sale, Enrique admitted: “Barcola grew enormously in Paris, but he also helped the team grow enormously.
“He wanted more playing time than I could guarantee him. In the end, I think everyone is a winner with that transfer. I truly wish him all the best."
Barcola will contend with Cody Gakpo, who has remained at Anfield, and fellow new boy Victor Munoz for a place in the starting XI. The latter has been deployed on both the right and left wing in his two outings so far this term, with Barcola preferring the left flank.
Iraola had confirmed that the player would be 'available' to make the matchday squad at Ipswich Town, but was tight-lipped over whether Barcola would be handed a debut.
The Liverpool manager said: "I see him in a good place. He has trained for us, it's true he hasn't had minutes in pre-season.
“He has been training, and it's a decision we have to make. But we have to consider he hasn't had minutes in pre-season games."
Iraola has also spoken of the player's willingness to be deployed on his unfavoured right - a position vacated by the departure of Mohamed Salah this summer.
Iraola explained: "All the questions he was asking were about football, tactics. The position he was going to play.
"He was very open, also, about playing on the right, of playing up front, of giving us chances so we can work better as a team. It wasn't just about the individual or Bradley saying 'how am I going to shine?'. It was about the collective. I liked it."
Verdict: Should Bradley Barcola start against Ipswich Town?
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
There's a lot of hype about Barcola arriving at Liverpool but, should the player start against Ipswich Town on Friday night? Probably not.
The Tractor Boys welcome the Reds off the back of a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United. The new boys did beat Sunderland at home on the opening weekend, but this is a fixture which Liverpool won 6-2 on aggregate in 2024/25. Liverpool travel to Portman Road as strong favourites, and Iraola can exercise a degree of caution.
What's more, neither Munoz nor Gakpo deserve to be dropped. The former has a goal and an assist in his opening two matches, and Gakpo has the same record, despite intense transfer speculation.
Liverpool must avoid another Alexander Isak situation and ease Barcola into Premier League action. A cameo from the bench at Ipswich Town feels the way to go.