Bradley Barcola has been excluded from Paris St-Germain’s squad for a third consecutive match as Liverpool and Arsenal continue to monitor the winger’s availability.
The France international has been left out of Luis Enrique’s 21-man selection for their Ligue 1 opener against Rennes on Sunday.
He was previously absent for the French champions’ Super Cup victory over Aston Villa and a recent defeat to Lens.
Premier League giants circle
Liverpool remain significantly apart from the Parisian club regarding a valuation for the attacker, with the European champions demanding a fee in the region of £145m.
The Merseyside outfit are actively seeking a wide player as they look to plan for life after Mohamed Salah.
Arsenal are also keen to reinforce the left flank of their attacking lineup, having recently explored a move for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz.
Fierce competition in Paris
The 23-year-old played a crucial role in securing back-to-back Champions League titles under Enrique, but now faces an increasingly uncertain future in the French capital.
Paris St-Germain heavily invested in their forward line during the summer transfer window, recruiting Ferran Torres from Barcelona alongside Mika Godts and Maghnes Akliouche.
All three recent acquisitions are available for the domestic opener, joining established stars such as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.
Consequently, opportunities for the highly-rated winger appear severely limited this season.
Liverpool’s wider search
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has openly admitted his squad is alarmingly short of wide players ahead of their opening Premier League fixture against Newcastle United.
The Reds recently saw a £60m bid for Yankuba Minteh rejected by Brighton, having only secured Victor Munoz from Osasuna so far this summer.
I wanted the players from the first day on July 13, I wanted everyone here, all the positions doubled with top-level players,
Iraola stated.
You are asking what we need, there are certain situations that for me are clear, especially on the wing because we don’t have enough players specifically to play in those positions.
In addition to Barcola, Liverpool have been credited with an interest in 18-year-old Parisian prospect Ibrahim Mbaye, who has similarly been omitted from this weekend’s matchday squad.
Manchester City have agreed to sell winger Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur in a club-record deal worth an initial £75m.
The transfer, which includes a further £10m in performance-related add-ons, represents a massive financial windfall for the City Football Group (CFG).
Spurs are acquiring a 22-year-old who delivered 16 goal contributions in 48 appearances under Pep Guardiola last season.
The Brazilian led the Premier League champions in domestic assists during his solitary campaign at Etihad Stadium.
A multi-club success story
The highly profitable sale highlights the controversial but lucrative nature of the Abu Dhabi-owned network’s multi-club model.
He originally joined CFG-owned French side Troyes in 2022 for a club-record fee but departed two years later without making a single appearance.
Instead, the South American prospect developed his reputation during loan spells with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and Spanish outfit Girona.
His breakthrough 2023-24 season in La Liga saw him register nine goals and eight assists as Girona secured historic Champions League qualification.
Internal transfers and rapid profit
Following his impressive spell in Spain, the English champions purchased the attacker internally from Troyes for £30.8m in early 2024.
That intra-network transaction drew significant scrutiny over whether the transfer fee represented fair market value.
Despite lingering questions over his long-term sporting legacy in Manchester, flipping the player for a £44m profit mere months later marks an undeniable business triumph.
“It’s a success story for the group.”
Brian Marwood, CFG managing director of global football
Girona’s lingering regrets
Girona had desperately hoped to retain their talisman for their inaugural European Cup campaign before Guardiola integrated him into the English setup.
“Our intention from the moment that we reached the Champions League was to try to get him to stay for another year,” Quique Carcel, director of football at Girona, told BBC Sport.
“But logically after making such a big impact, City, Pep and Txiki Begiristain were already considering having him in their first-team squad.”
Tottenham fans will now hope the dynamic forward can immediately replicate his stunning Spanish form as he heads to north London.
Liverpool will begin a Premier League season without Mohamed Salah for the first time in a decade when they travel to Newcastle United on Sunday following his departure to Trabzonspor.
The Reds open their 2026-27 campaign under Andoni Iraola at St James’ Park this weekend.
Meanwhile, their former Egyptian talisman will be lining up 2,100 miles away in the Turkish Super Lig.
Moving on from a legendary era
This weekend marks the first time since 2015 that the Merseyside club will start a campaign without Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino.
That iconic trio amassed a staggering 488 goals between them over an incredible 11-year spell.
With the record-breaking winger now out of the picture, Cody Gakpo stands as the current top scorer in the squad with just 50 goals.
Pressure mounts on costly summer signings
The Anfield hierarchy invested heavily last summer, spending a combined £320m on Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike with the future in mind.
However, the immense goalscoring and creative burden left by the club’s greatest modern attacker must now be shared.
Ekitike enjoyed a promising start to his Anfield career before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in April.
Consequently, Isak and Wirtz are under immense pressure to lead the line following disappointing debut campaigns.
Transfer search intensifies for Barcola
Despite expectations of a statement signing to replace their departed superstar, the club has yet to secure a top-class forward.
A move for 19-year-old rising star Yan Diomande collapsed after the teenager opted to join Real Madrid from RB Leipzig.
Focus has now shifted to Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, with growing confidence that a deal can be reached.
The French champions initially demanded £145m for the attacker, though Liverpool hope to negotiate a fee closer to the £100m mark.
Club captain Virgil van Dijk has publicly acknowledged the need to strengthen the squad before the transfer window closes.
“We need a squad that is able to compete on all four fronts, that’s the only way to try to be successful. Let’s see what the last couple weeks of the transfer window brings and then let’s go for it.”
Substitute Carlos Espi scored a 90th-minute winner to secure Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Espanyol and give Jose Mourinho a successful start to his second managerial spell.
The Portuguese coach returned to the dugout for the Spanish giants after a 13-year absence.
It appeared his homecoming would end in a frustrating La Liga draw before the late intervention from the summer signing.
Bellingham strikes before Espanyol response
England international Jude Bellingham gave the visitors a perfect start by heading home the opening goal just nine minutes into the contest in Barcelona.
However, the hosts responded strongly and found an equaliser on the half-hour mark through Cala.
The match remained finely balanced until the dying moments when Kylian Mbappe was dispossessed inside the penalty area.
The loose ball fell perfectly for Espi to fire past goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic just 10 minutes after being introduced from the bench.
A night of notable debuts
The 21-year-old match-winner arrived from Levante for a reported 25m euros (£21.4m) following a standout individual campaign.
His decisive strike was his 11th league goal since late February, representing the highest tally of any player in the division during that timeframe.
Mourinho named Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva in his starting lineup.
This marked the first time Los Blancos had fielded three debutants in their opening league fixture since Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema featured in 2009.
Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, who became the club’s most expensive summer recruit following his 125m euro (£107m) transfer from RB Leipzig, also made his first appearance as a second-half replacement for Arda Guler.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has vowed to find a replacement for Rodri following the midfielder’s £65m transfer to Barcelona.
The Spain captain recently ended a highly successful seven-year spell at Etihad Stadium by signing a four-year contract with the La Liga champions.
“How do we solve that problem?” asked Maresca. “We try to find the new Rodri, it is what it is.”
During his time in England, the 30-year-old established himself as one of the finest operators in world football.
The former Atletico Madrid man claimed the 2024 Ballon d’Or and scored the decisive goal in the 2023 Champions League final.
City’s track record of replacing legends
Finding a successor for the recent World Cup winner is a daunting task, but the City boss remains optimistic.
The manager pointed to the club’s successful history of seamlessly replacing iconic figures over the past decade.
“I was thinking on Thursday night, when David Silva was here, everyone was worried and Kevin [De Bruyne] arrived,” Maresca added.
“When Sergio [Aguero] was here, everyone was worried [when he was going to leave] and Erling [Haaland] arrived. Fernandinho? Rodri arrived.”
“When they leave, you need to be good in recruiting the next one.”
Late transfer window business
The reigning English champions are expected to be highly active in the final 10 days of the current transfer window.
A club-record £115m deal has already been completed to bring England international Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Negotiations are also progressing for Lille prospect Ayyoub Bouaddi, while Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez remains a potential target.
Several departures are also anticipated before the deadline, with Tottenham agreeing a £75m fee for Brazilian winger Savinho.
Spurs are concurrently locked in talks to acquire versatile forward Omar Marmoush from the Manchester outfit.
“It doesn’t help that there are players that for different reasons want to leave, that is for sure, but we need to adapt and also we don’t want to keep players here who don’t want to stay,” Maresca concluded.
Manchester United delivered a lacklustre performance under Michael Carrick as newly-promoted Hull City secured a deserved victory on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic deployed a highly physical defensive system to neutralise the attacking threat of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
Wing-backs Lewie Coyle and Ryan Giles provided relentless service for target man Oli McBurnie throughout the afternoon.
The Tigers dominated the aerial battles, winning almost two-thirds of their duels before the half-time interval.
Midfield struggles for the visitors
In stark contrast, the visiting side lacked basic intensity and were heavily punished for their lethargic approach on Humberside.
A static midfield pairing of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans struggled immensely to contain the energetic hosts.
The sluggish performance epitomised a concerning lack of hunger from the 20-time English champions.
Elsewhere in the top flight, Everton demonstrated significant maturity to defeat Crystal Palace in their opening fixture.
Everton youngsters shine at Goodison Park
David Moyes fielded his second-youngest starting line-up since returning to the club for his second managerial stint.
Inexperienced teenager Harrison Armstrong and new signing Hayden Hackney performed superbly in the centre of the pitch.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall set the tone for the Toffees by scoring a magnificent opening goal.
Forward Iliman Ndiaye continued his impressive form, having contributed to 19 goals since his arrival ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Transfer ambitions on Merseyside
The Everton hierarchy are now actively seeking a new right-back before the summer transfer window officially closes.
Reports also suggest the Merseyside club are exploring an ambitious reunion with former Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish.
In London, Arsenal have immediately emerged as early title contenders following a rejuvenated attacking display.
Daniel Farke continues to publicly play down expectations at Elland Road despite Leeds United claiming a vital opening victory.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur suffered a damaging weekend defeat, as newly-promoted Ipswich Town successfully secured three crucial points.
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has escalated a legal challenge to Fifa regarding the validity of the final 10 months of his contract.
The France international argues that the one-year extension recently activated by his employers should be deemed void.
He originally signed a permanent four-and-a-half-year deal in January 2022, which included the optional 12-month clause.
It is understood an independent Premier League tribunal previously heard the 29-year-old’s case and ruled the agreement remained binding.
Fifa rejects jurisdiction over dispute
World football’s governing body ruled earlier this week that overruling the existing paperwork falls outside its jurisdiction.
A successful appeal would potentially allow the prolific forward to become a free agent before the end of the current season.
BBC Sport has approached both Fifa and representatives for the former Mainz 05 attacker for comment.
A vital but unsettled figure at Selhurst Park
The French marksman has become a pivotal player in south London, scoring 67 goals since his initial arrival on loan in 2021.
He played an instrumental role in the Eagles’ historic FA Cup and Uefa Conference League victories under former manager Oliver Glasner.
Despite this on-pitch success, the player pushed for a January transfer to AC Milan earlier this year.
That proposed move ultimately collapsed following concerns raised during medical checks over a knee issue.
Mounting injury crisis compounds opening defeat
The contract dispute adds to a turbulent start to the campaign for new manager Pierre Sage following a 2-0 defeat at Everton.
Defender Chadi Riad was stretchered off at Goodison Park, continuing a devastating run of knee problems that previously sidelined him for over 400 days.
Meanwhile, key winger Ismaila Sarr missed the matchday squad entirely with a suspected groin injury.
The 21-goal forward has not trained for two days amid concrete interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Palace remain determined to keep the Senegalese star and will reportedly only consider bids significantly above market value.
Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad suffered a suspected serious knee injury during his side’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Everton on the opening weekend of the season.
The Morocco international appeared to twist his left leg awkwardly in the 72nd minute while attempting to defend a cross from Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson immediately signalled for medical assistance as his team-mate lay on the pitch in obvious distress.
Visibly emotional and pulling his shirt over his head, the 23-year-old was eventually stretchered off to warm applause from the crowd.
A devastating history of setbacks
This latest blow marks the continuation of a torrid fitness record for the former Barcelona centre-back since his £14m arrival in June 2024.
Despite his undeniable talent, the defender has been restricted to just 16 appearances for the London club.
A previous knee issue was quickly followed by a severe cruciate ligament tear in training, keeping him sidelined for a combined 430 days.
He had only recently re-established himself, featuring prominently enough in the latter half of the 2025-26 campaign to earn a place in his nation’s World Cup squad.
Disappointing start for Pierre Sage
The distressing incident compounded a frustrating afternoon for the Eagles in what was Pierre Sage’s first competitive match since succeeding Oliver Glasner as manager.
Goals either side of half-time from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry ensured the hosts claimed a comfortable victory on Merseyside.
Following the Moroccan’s withdrawal, Takehiro Tomiyasu was introduced from the bench to shore up a depleted backline.
In a brief statement posted on social media, the club expressed their unwavering support for the stricken player.
“We’re right behind you, Chadi.”