There are transfer stories that fade when a player trains normally and there are stories that sharpen when the same player is left out again. Liverpool Transfer News Barcola belongs in the second category. With Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye omitted from Paris Saint-Germain's squad again, Liverpool's interest in a double deal has moved from summer speculation to something much more stubborn.
That latest omission came on Sunday evening, when RMC Sport reported that neither player would be involved as PSG began their latest Ligue 1 title defence away at Rennes. It followed a similar call last weekend, when Luis Enrique left both out for PSG's 1-0 defeat by Lens in the French Super Cup. Even after Barcola and Mbaye trained as normal on Saturday morning, the squad decision suggested the situation is still active rather than settling down.
Liverpool's interest has not gone away
Liverpool have been linked with a high-profile double transfer involving the two PSG wingers, and the timing matters. The club's attacking recruitment has been described as limited despite Mohamed Salah leaving Anfield and joining Trabzonspor earlier this summer, so the need for another forward option is obvious. Barcola is now central to that conversation, while Mbaye remains part of the wider picture.
The key issue is that Liverpool and PSG remain far apart in their valuations. That is usually the point at which a transfer story either stalls or turns into a late-window tug of war. In this case, the repeated squad omissions keep the door open. They do not guarantee anything, but they do suggest PSG are still navigating unresolved decisions around two players who are firmly in the frame.
There was also another Liverpool-related twist on Friday, when The Times reported a shock enquiry with Real Madrid over Endrick. That does not change the main Barcola story, but it does underline how busy Liverpool's late-window thinking appears to be. If one deal is difficult, the club are at least exploring others.
For now, the clearest takeaway is simple. Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye being left out again is not proof of an imminent move, but it is proof that the situation has not cooled. In the final week of the window, that is often enough to keep a transfer story alive.
