Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique was unwilling to address the futures of Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye after leaving both players out of his squad for Sunday’s game against RC Lens. PSG squandered the opportunity to claim a second trophy in five days, falling to a 1-0 defeat against Lens in the Trophee des Champions.
Barcola, valued at a staggering £145 million ($196.6 million), and Mbaye, valued at around £40 million ($54.2 million), watched from the stands at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis amid significant interest from Liverpool. The Reds are eager to secure deals for both wingers in separate transfers.
PSG moved this week to recruit Ferran Torres and Mika Godts to reinforce their attacking options, nudging Barcola and Mbaye further down the depth chart. Yet despite their two new arrivals being unavailable for the Lens fixture, Barcola and Mbaye were also absent, as per The Mirror.
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During his post-match press conference, Enrique was pressed on the omissions and offered a curt response. “Thank you, goodbye,” the PSG manager said before abruptly exiting the media room.
Enrique was visibly frustrated after watching his side struggle against Lens, who claimed the Coupe de France last season to earn a showdown with Ligue 1 champions PSG. Florian Thauvin found the net just after the half-hour mark, before Lens were reduced to 10 men prior to half-time.
Kyllian Antonio received a red card following a late cleat-up tackle on Maghnes Akliouche, another attacker recently acquired by PSG. The home side was reduced to 10 men from the 39th minute but maintained their defensive shape until numerical parity was restored.
PSG also had a player dismissed in the dying moments, as Nuno Mendes was shown a red card for an elbow on Michal Skoras. Lens successfully preserved their advantage and stunned the Champions League titleholders.
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The futures of Barcola and Mbaye will now come under scrutiny as the transfer window approaches its final two weeks. On Saturday, Enrique emphasized that if a player is unhappy at the Parc des Princes, a ‘solution’ must be identified.
“We are a very young, very ambitious team,” the Spaniard affirmed. “It is important for us to make changes and look for players who enjoy playing our way and who love playing for PSG. That is very clear to us.
“When a player doesn’t want to come here, or doesn’t have a smile on their face about being here, it is better to find another solution.”
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