Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Luis Enrique insisted a decision on Bradley Barcola’s future at Paris Saint-Germain would come after their Super Cup clash with Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Barcola has been a player in demand this summer, with Liverpool the frontrunners to secure his signature, though reports have suggested Arsenal are also interested in a move.
The 23-year-old is reportedly valued at €170m (£145m) by the European champions, a figure Liverpool, at this time, are refusing to match.
And on the eve of their clash with Unai Emery’s side at Red Bull Arena, Luis Enrique named Barcola among his 24-man squad for the Super Cup, along with Ibrahim Mbaye, who is also reportedly wanted by the Reds.
Barcola played a pivotal role in PSG’s success in 2025-26, scoring 13 goals in 49 outings (excluding the Club World Cup), which was the third-highest tally in the squad, while the France international also ranked third for dribbles attempted (156) and goal-ending carries (five).
And when asked about Barcola’s future, Luis Enrique instead switched his focus onto his team, rather than the in-demand attacker.
“We’re going to train on Tuesday, we’re trying to analyse everything, everything that’s important for the team, and then we’ll make our decision,” Luis Enrique told reporters.
“You’ll see on Wednesday for the team composition. On Barcola, I don’t know, and I don’t want to talk about a player individually, because it’s always dangerous when you ask something positive or negative about a player. I stay focused on my team.”
Le groupe de Parisiens pour la Supercoupe face à Aston Villa
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) August 11, 2026
Luis Enrique also included €50m acquisition Maghnes Akliouche and ex-Villa man Lucas Digne in his team, with the latter potentially facing his former team after completing a return to PSG over the weekend.
PSG are looking to become just the fourth team to retain the European/UEFA Super Cup, after Ajax (1973, 1974), Milan (1989, 1990) and Real Madrid (2016, 2017).
This is just the third meeting between the two teams after the 2024-25 Champions League quarter-final, with PSG winning 3-1 at home and losing 2-3 away to progress 5-4 on aggregate, though Luis Enrique is not expecting a match of the same calibre.
PSG had 15 players competing at the World Cup which ended just over three weeks ago, including midfielder Fabian Ruiz, who won the tournament with Spain, and five in the France squad who reached the semi-finals.
“We are pleased to be here because it means we did a good job last season, but in terms of preparation it is very difficult to manage,” Luis Enrique added.
“The internationals have only just come back, the French, Spanish and Moroccans came back on Monday, the Brazilians and Portuguese on the third, one week ago.
“It is a situation generated by the schedule. In terms of a top-level game tomorrow, it will be difficult to see that.
“Some of our players have barely trained but the ones who have will play tomorrow. In terms of preparation, this is not how it should be.”
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