Paris Saint-Germain are set to take a hardline stance on Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye amid intensifying speculation over the two wingers.
The France and Senegal forwards have both agreed personal terms with Liverpool over a potential move to Anfield, with the two clubs now locked in negotiations over the price of a prospective deal for either or both players.
They were both left out of the PSG squad for the defeat to Lens in the Trophée des Champions on Sunday, with Luis Enrique unwilling to discuss the duo’s situations in his post-match press conference.
Barcola and Mbaye have been frozen out at PSG
A report from TEAMtalk on Tuesday suggests that the weekend omission mightn’t be in isolation, with an agreement between the head coach and the Parc des Princes hierarchy that neither Barcola nor Mbaye will play for the club while their futures remain unresolved.
That stance is expected to remain in place until there’s greater clarity over their situations, thus leaving both players in limbo for the time being.
PSG’s stated valuation for Barcola remains at €170m (£145m), although ‘there is a belief within the market’ that the European champions will eventually reduce their demands, particularly given the 23-year-old’s desire for a move to Liverpool.
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PSG will need to make a call on Barcola and Mbaye soon
With just two weeks remaining until the market shuts, this situation was always going to require a resolution soon, but the Parisians’ hardline stance could potentially bring it to a head even sooner.
The status quo isn’t ideal for any of the parties involved, with the two players frozen out, PSG needing to decide whether to keep them or offload both at a reduced price, and Liverpool still having to come up with sufficiently sizeable offers to land Barcola and/or Mbaye.
The other obstacle for the Anfield hierarchy to overcome, should they sign the Frenchman, is that one current player would either have to be sold or sidelined so that the Reds adhere to the permissible maximum of 17 non-homegrown players for their Premier League squad. They are currently at full capacity in that regard.
Spurs-linked Cody Gakpo could potentially be sacrificed if required, although John Aldridge has urged his former club not to offload the Dutch forward in the coming fortnight.
Something will need to give over the next two weeks, whether that’s one or both wingers agreeing to remain with PSG, or the Champions League holders ultimately cashing in so that they’re not lumbered with two players who are redundant for the time being.