It seems unthinkable that PSG could contemplate selling one of the most talented forward players to have emerged from France in recent years but that’s the situation the Ligue 1 champions find themselves in with Bradley Barcola. The 23-year-old is simply too good to be regularly sat on the bench and, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele being the three pillars of Luis Enrique’s attack, that’s where he’s been finding himself for the matches that really matter in the 2025-26 campaign.
There will be no shortage of suitors desperate to snap him up if there’s an indication that a deal can be done. The only stumbling block for Barcola and putting himself on the map at the World Cup is competition for places, with Didier Deschamps having benched him for France’s Group I opener against Senegal. His opportunity to make an impact did come, however, with Barcola making an almost instantaneous difference, breaking away in the 82nd minute, just two minutes after coming on, before dinking a nonchalant finish over Edouard Mendy to make it 2-0.
That contribution was enough to launch him into the XI against Iraq, but it’s fair to say he underwhelmed over the 90 minutes. Despite the odd flash of his ability that saw him beat his direct opponent and accelerate into space, the end product was lacking, and, after being outshone by Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise in the 3-0 win, he may be heading back to the bench for the rest of the tournament.
Player value before World Cup started: £60m
Current player value: £62.5m (⬆️ by £2.5m)
