PSG forward Bradley Barcola has caught the eye of several of Europe’s top clubs, leaving the 23-year-old facing a major crossroads in his career.
Barcola featured in Luis Enrique’s squad that clinched back-to-back Champions League titles, including a penalty-shootout win over Arsenal in May, but he’s said to be frustrated with his diminished role at the club. Playing in a stacked PSG attack alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, and Ousmane Dembele, Barcola has frequently found himself limited to substitute appearances despite feeling he merits more starts. The versatile forward, who’s claimed three Ligue 1 titles since arriving from Lyon in 2023, was named on the bench for the Champions League—a snub widely seen as the driving force behind him weighing his future this summer.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both long held interest in the quick-footed attacker, though a switch looks doubtful given PSG’s steep £116million valuation, a price point set as a reference following Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City. Add to that PSG’s growing confidence in landing RB Leipzig talent Yan Diomande, and Barcola’s outlook for next season has dimmed further, with TEAMtalk reporting his representatives are ‘actively exploring’ a summer exit.
Barcola is said to want to ‘weigh up his options’ once the World Cup concludes, where he’s been a standout for a France side tipped to win it all, following his slide down the pecking order under Enrique. Still, PSG haven’t given up on tying him to a new deal and plan to open contract talks once he’s back from international duty. Should he turn that down and confirm he wants out, the club would ‘reluctantly consider a sale’—with Liverpool reportedly making him their ‘priority’ target now that Diomande has signaled he wants to join PSG.
Marcel Desailly believes Barcola should remain at PSG
The sheer depth and quality of PSG’s attack is precisely why Barcola keeps getting overlooked. He remains one of the most exciting forwards in Europe, a point he’s underlined with strong performances for France at the World Cup, contributing two goals and an assist for Didier Deschamps so far—and he’s expected to feature heavily in the quarter-final clash with Morocco.
The 25-cap international, contracted to PSG through June 2028, has racked up 76 goal contributions in 152 appearances for the club. Former defender Marcel Desailly has advised him to stay put rather than pursue a move to Liverpool or Arsenal.
“Should he move to the Premier League? Not yet. Not yet at all,” Desailly said of Barcola’s future. “Sorry, Arsenal and Liverpool fans. He should stay at Paris Saint-Germain, play 25 games a season, and grow within that system.”
Desailly brushed aside Barcola’s frustrations over limited starts, instead urging him to continue developing under Enrique. That said, a record bid from Arsenal or Liverpool could still be enough to send him to the Premier League next.
