Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye futures unclear after PSG lose to Lens

Paris Saint-Germain’s hopes of starting the 2026-27 season with a second trophy were ended by Lens, who beat the French champions 1-0 to win the French Super Cup on Sunday.

The Paris club had wanted to complete the week with another piece of silverware and make the strongest possible start to the new campaign. Instead, their plans were disrupted by a narrow defeat against Lens, who secured the title with the only goal of the match.

Luis Enrique congratulated Lens after the game and said he was satisfied with the performance produced by his Paris Saint-Germain players, according to comments published by Foot Mercato.

However, the manager declined to discuss the futures of Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye when asked why the two players had not been included in the matchday squad.

Both wingers are reportedly close to leaving Paris Saint-Germain and are attracting significant interest from Liverpool. When the question was put to Enrique in front of the Ligue 1+ microphone, he replied: “Thank you, goodbye”.

The brief response appeared to be a deliberate attempt to avoid addressing the situation surrounding the two players, leaving their immediate futures at the club unclear.

Barcola and Mbaye were also absent from Paris Saint-Germain’s meeting with Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup last Wednesday. Their omission from the squad for the defeat by Lens therefore prompted further questions about whether they remain part of Enrique’s plans as the 2026-27 season begins.

The defeat meant Paris Saint-Germain were unable to follow up their earlier hopes of claiming another trophy during the opening week of the campaign. Lens, meanwhile, took advantage of the opportunity to add the French Super Cup to their honours after overcoming the Parisian side by a single goal.

Enrique’s comments after the match focused on acknowledging Lens and assessing his own team’s display, rather than providing an update on either Barcola or Mbaye. The Liverpool interest, combined with the pair’s absence from the two recent fixtures, has intensified attention on their positions within the Paris Saint-Germain squad.

For now, the coach has offered no public explanation for their omission and no indication of whether either player will remain with the club. His “Thank you, goodbye” response ensured that questions about the two wingers’ futures remained unanswered after Lens claimed the trophy.