The future of Bradley Barcola remains shrouded in uncertainty as Paris Saint-Germain prepare for their Super Cup clash with Aston Villa, with manager Luis Enrique refusing to be drawn on the winger's potential departure amid growing interest from Liverpool and now Arsenal.
Barcola, 23, has emerged as a priority target for new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, who is looking to reshape his squad at Anfield this summer. The France international only returned to PSG training last Monday following the World Cup, where he scored three goals, and could still be involved against the Europa League champions in Salzburg on Wednesday.
Questioned about Barcola's situation, Luis Enrique was careful not to give anything away. "I don't know and I don't want to speak about any player individually," he said. "Because it's always dangerous when you are asking something positive or negative about a player. I stay focused on my team."
The Spanish coach also touched on the club's disrupted preparations following the international break, noting the challenge of integrating returning players so close to a major fixture. "We are going to train today," he explained. "We are trying to analyse everything and after that we are going to make our decision. It's a surreal situation. The international players, French, Spanish, arrived on Monday. That's just one week. But we prepared in the best way possible and we're happy to play this game, because it means we won an important title, the Champions League. It's very important for us and our club to win. But in terms of preparation, it's not what it should have been."
Meanwhile, negotiations between Liverpool and PSG over a possible transfer appear to have stalled. According to reports, PSG have placed a valuation of around £145million on Barcola, and with no agreement in sight and the transfer deadline just three weeks away, Liverpool are reportedly ready to abandon their pursuit altogether. The Reds are said to be considering alternative options, including PSG's 18-year-old forward Ibrahim Mbaye, as they look to strengthen a squad Iraola has described as short on depth.
Should Liverpool step back from the deal, Arsenal could be handed a clear opportunity to move for Barcola. The Gunners have been searching for a marquee attacking addition after missing out on Vinicius Junior, who opted to sign a new long-term deal at Real Madrid instead of pursuing a move to north London. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has already signaled his intent to add further reinforcements this summer, having recently completed a £75million deal for Bruno Guimaraes.