Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has declined to get involved in speculation over Bradley Barcola’s future, with Liverpool stepping up their interest in the French winger. The Reds have marked the 23-year-old out as a major target for Andoni Iraola’s revamped side at Anfield.

Enrique declines to address Barcola speculation

Enrique took his usual firm line when asked about Barcola’s future, with the winger having become one of Liverpool’s leading targets this summer. The French wide player, who impressed with three goals at the World Cup, has returned to training with the Paris club ahead of their UEFA Super Cup meeting with Aston Villa in Salzburg.

Even so, with the Premier League club continuing to monitor the situation, Enrique was not prepared to offer any certainty over whether the young forward will stay at the Parc des Princes beyond the current transfer window.

Speaking to reporters before the marquee fixture, the PSG manager made his stance on individual transfer discussions very clear. "I don’t know and I don’t want to speak about any player individually," Enrique said. "Because it’s always dangerous when you are asking something positive or negative about a player. I stay focused on my team."

His refusal to comment comes amid reports in France claiming that personal terms have already been settled between Barcola and the Merseyside club, meaning only the transfer fee still needs to be agreed.

Iraola’s push for more attacking options

Liverpool’s pursuit of Barcola is being driven by new boss Andoni Iraola, who wants to add speed and quality to his options out wide in his first season at Anfield. Although the Reds have already completed the loan signing of Ronald Araujo from Barcelona and permanent deals such as Victor Munoz, the hunt for a natural winger is still ongoing.

"I think it is difficult to say a number. When the market is open, you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad," Iraola said last month. "There are obvious situations where we need to sign players. Winger for example, we definitely need to sign a winger, but there are other situations where we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what is the cost, how we also see the players we have."

PSG face difficult Super Cup build-up

As the Barcola story continues in the background, Enrique has also had to manage far from ideal preparations for the Super Cup. A large section of his squad only came back to training last Monday after their involvement at the World Cup.

"We are going to train today," added the PSG boss. "We are tying to analyse everything and after that we are going to make our decision. It’s a surreal situation. The international players, French, Spanish, arrived on Monday. That’s just one week. But we prepared in the best way possible and we’re happy to play this game, because it means we won an important title, the Champions League. It’s very important for us and our club to win. But in terms of preparation, it’s not what it should have been."

The ambitious drive for European supremacy

In spite of the disruption, Enrique’s longer-term plan remains centred on domestic and European supremacy. After leading PSG to nine trophies across the last two seasons, the former Barcelona manager is now targeting what would be a third straight Champions League title, matching the standard set by Real Madrid.

That objective demands a strong and deep squad, but the possible arrival of new signings such as Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Godts and Ferran Torres could make Barcola’s exit possible if Liverpool submit a three-figure offer.