Paris Saint-Germain’s summer has so far been a window of controlled exits, and the one question hanging over all of it just received a fresh answer from the most followed transfer reporter in the game.
The Parisians have been busy trimming the squad rather than adding to it. Lee Kang-in’s move to Atletico Madrid moved to the medical stage earlier this week, as ReadPSG covered, while the recruitment side of the operation has centred on a three-man shortlist to replace Goncalo Ramos rather than a splashy statement signing.
Through all of it, Bradley Barcola has been the name that will not settle. The France winger ended last season as one of the most coveted wide players in Europe, and only yesterday Fabrizio Romano made a PSG admission that Liverpool and Arsenal will love, noting that the 23-year-old is not negotiating a new contract in Paris.
Barely a day later, Romano has returned to the subject in his latest briefing — and this time, the shape of the race has changed.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Bradley Barcola now?
Addressing Arsenal’s winger search in his latest YouTube briefing on Friday, according to Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League champions are not currently working on a deal for PSG’s number 29. “There are no active talks for Bradley Barcola,” Romano said. “And the player Arsenal want to add as a new winger is, from my information, still Morgan Rogers.”
That follows Romano’s position earlier in the week, when he stressed that the situation in Paris remains open. “I told you in April, May, June and now July that Bradley Barcola can leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer,” he said, adding that “the interest is strong and Barcola is not untouchable because he isn’t negotiating a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain.” On the English race, Romano has been consistent that Barcola “has been a top target” for Liverpool “since last summer” and remains on their shortlist.
Should PSG fans expect Barcola to leave this summer?
Romano’s latest line cuts both ways for PSG. With Arsenal channelling their energy — and their budget — towards Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, the field of realistic bidders for Barcola effectively narrows to one, and a single suitor rarely drives a fee upwards. If Liverpool do formalise their long-standing interest, Paris would be negotiating without the safety net of an auction.
Yet “no active talks” also means exactly that: nobody is at the table. Pre-season is approaching, the club have shown no urgency to sell, and any deal still depends, in Romano’s own framing, on the money clubs are prepared to put down. The contract situation is the genuine pressure point — an unrenewed deal loses value with every window — but it does not force PSG’s hand this month.
The verdict: a departure remains a live possibility rather than a probability. Unless Liverpool turn monitoring into a formal offer that meets PSG’s valuation, Barcola starting the season in Paris is still the likeliest outcome — and the next fortnight, with pre-season underway, should tell us which way this breaks.
