Barcola to Chelsea is ON after PSG decision

Cameron Smith

28 Aug 2023 11:08 BST
4 min read

Chelsea’s hopes of signing Olympique Lyonnais wonderkid Bradley Barcola have been handed a major boost as Paris Saint-Germain have turned their attention to PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko.

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PSG had been considered front-runners in the race to sign Barcola, with the France U21 star openly admitting to Lyon that he wants to leave the club in order to join Luis Enrique’s side.

However, PSG are now set to lodge a €25 million offer for Bakayoko, according to Sacha Tavolieri and Rik Elfrink.

Tavolieri has reported that PSV want at least €30m for the 20-year-old Belgium international, while Crystal Palace are keeping tabs on the situation in the event that Eberechi Eze leaves before Deadline Day.

As a result of their Bakayoko pursuit, PSG have seemingly put a move for Barcola on hold after learning of Lyon’s €60m asking price for the 20-year-old.

The Parisians have already spent over €200m on new signings this window, with Goncalo Ramos, Marco Asensio, Ousmane Dembele and Kang-in Lee all arriving to bolster the forward line, while Hugo Ekitike’s loan deal was made permanent.

Furthermore, Randal Kolo Muani is expected to join the club before Deadline Day; PSG’s latest offer for the Frenchman was €80m, as per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

© ProShots - PSG want to sign PSV's Johan Bakayoko

Chelsea handed Barcola boost

With news that PSG have shifted their focus to Bakayoko, it has opened the door for Chelsea to push ahead in the race to sign Barcola.

The 20-year-old has informed Lyon he would like to leave the club before the window shuts, providing Chelsea with the perfect opportunity for a late bid.

The Blues are still in the hunt for another attacker as Mauricio Pochettino looks to bolster his forward line, and their pursuit of Brennan Johnson has hit a stumbling block following interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

As a result, Chelsea may re-start negotiations with Lyon over a possible move for Barcola after receiving renewed hope in their chances of landing him.

Barcola scored seven goals and provided 10 assists in all competitions last season after enjoying his breakout year into senior football.