Luis Enrique gives frosty reply to questions over Barcola and Mbaye after strong transfer hint

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Luis Enrique responded tetchily to questions over the futures of Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye after Paris Saint-Germain’s defeat to Lens in the Trophée des Champions on Sunday.The two wingers have been strongly linked with prospective transfers to Liverpool this summer, with trusted sources claiming over the weekend that ‘the end is near’ in terms of negotiations for the France international.It felt significant that neither player was even on the bench for PSG’s match last night, with young attacker Quentin Ndjantou instead named among the substitutes.Enrique shuts down questions over Barcola and MbayeIn his press conference after the defeat to Lens, Enrique was inevitably asked about the omissions of Barcola and Mbaye from the matchday squad, to which he replied (via Fabrizio Romano on X): “I’ll talk about the situation after the transfer window has passed.”Further questioning about the Liverpool-linked duo met with further impatience from the PSG head coach, who curtly responded ‘Thank you, goodbye’ and proceeded to walk out of the media room (via The Mirror).Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustThe tide is shifting towards one or both leaving PSGThere have been several signs over the past three days that the European champions could plausibly cash in on Barcola and/or Mbaye before the transfer window shuts in 15 days’ time.Their non-involvement in the Trophée des Champions will inevitably fuel speculation over an exit from the Parc des Princes, and PSG have brought in two more forwards over the weekend in Ferran Torres and Mika Godts.It’s near-impossible not to put two and two together from those actions, and Enrique has been vocal about only wanting to work with players who are all-in on his project in Paris.While the tide is certainly shifting towards Barcola and/or Mbaye joining Liverpool soon, there remains one significant obstacle to overcome in both cases – agreeing a transfer fee.Given the tight period until the transfer window closes, the Reds might ultimately opt for one over the other, with the Frenchman the more proven option at the highest level and set to cost more than £100m.It might take another unsuccessful bid or two, but we’re increasingly confident that LFC will ultimately get Barcola through the door by the 1 September cutoff.