Nasser Al-Khelaifi has not closed the door on Bradley Barcola's future at Paris Saint Germain. After PSG's Super Cup win over Aston Villa, he said: “We're working calmly. We don't talk too much. We get things done. All of our players are important. When they sign for PSG, they become important to us.”
He then added: “I can't say today. What I can say today is that he's a PSG player.” A final line followed shortly after: “There are discussions, negotiations, we'll see.” That leaves Liverpool and Arsenal with no clean answer, only a public hint that talks are still active.
The Super Cup and the bench role
Barcola did not play a minute in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg. PSG used five substitutions in the match, but he was not one of them. That is the freshest reason the transfer noise has grown louder, even if it does not amount to proof of a move.
The case for PSG keeping him is just as obvious. Barcola has 39 goals and 37 assists in 152 appearances for the club, and he has helped them win 14 pieces of silverware, including three successive Ligue 1 titles. Those are not the numbers of a player PSG need to sell cheaply.
Michael Owen, speaking to thehardtackle.com, said: “I do think Liverpool need more, but it looks like Barcola is the one they want and it will cost them a huge amount of money to get him in. But if they can do that and add more depth, more quality, then they can really challenge for the title.”
For now, PSG are saying very little and Barcola is still their player. The next public update will matter more than the noise around Salzburg, with the transfer story still unresolved after the Super Cup.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
