PSG Excludes Barcola as Liverpool Negotiates Transfer

Bradley Barcola’s summer limbo has turned into something far more concrete: Paris Saint-Germain have taken him out of the picture entirely.

The winger has been excluded from all match-day squads while his future is thrashed out, with multiple reports confirming that Luis Enrique will not call on him again until a resolution is found. For Barcola, who has made it clear he wants to leave, the message from the club could hardly be sharper.

Two games told the story. PSG faced Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup and then Lens in the Trophee des Champions last week. The lineups were largely familiar. The glaring change came in the second matchday squad – no Barcola. Not on the pitch, not on the bench.

Liverpool are now in talks to sign the 21-year-old, and the stance from Paris reflects both sporting and financial priorities. PSG do not want players involved who already have one eye on the exit. Under Enrique, commitment is non‑negotiable, and the club has already moved to cover the position.

Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Godts are all coming in, effectively closing the door on Barcola’s role in the team. His spot has been filled before he has even walked out.

There is another factor: risk. PSG are prepared to cash in, with the winger potentially commanding a fee north of £130m. Any injury now would hit the club hard in the market, so the decision to sideline him is as much about asset protection as it is about dressing-room focus.

The mood around negotiations is upbeat. Indications from both sides suggest Liverpool and PSG believe a deal can be struck this week, which would bring an end to a saga that has hovered over PSG’s summer.

Squad plans laid bare

Enrique’s choices in the Trophee des Champions did more than freeze out one player; they offered a glimpse of his hierarchy for the season. The Spaniard used the curtain-raiser to underline who he trusts and who sits on the fringes, with Barcola’s omission the headline call in a broader reshaping of the squad.

Goalkeeper search back to square one

PSG thought they had their new goalkeeper lined up. A move for Zion Suzuki from Parma looked all but done, only for the transfer to collapse at the last moment. The deal fell apart just as the club appeared ready to close it, leaving PSG exactly where they started in their hunt for a new No. 1.

So Enrique presses on with a squad being rebuilt on his terms, a major sale potentially days away, and a gaping question still hanging over the goalkeeping position.