Bradley Barcola hopes to change dimension. Transferred from PSG to Liverpool for 145 million euros, the French international is expected to turn the corner at the Reds, where he must gradually take a major place in the offensive sector, particularly in the succession to Mohamed Salah. In an interview given to Téléfootthe 24-year-old winger spoke about the expectations linked to his transfer and the responsibilities that accompany it.
“What is expected of me? I think that on a transfer like this, I am expected to be decisive. There are a lot of great strikers, but when you come to a team like that, you have to be absolutely decisive if you want to stand out. So that’s what I’m going to try to do. In any case, that’s what I want to do above all”explained the former OL. An ambitious speech which comes after a particularly successful week for the Frenchman, author of his first hat-trick under his new colors in C1 against LASK, before delivering an assist to Alexander Isak against Brentford this Saturday. After scoring 21 goals and providing 20 assists in 2024-2025 with PSG, then scoring 13 times last season, Barcola now intends to reach a new level and confirm that he can assume a leading role in a club of this caliber.
Bradley Barcola wants to bring his experience to Liverpool
This departure also marks a turning point in the career of a player who had gradually lost his place in the Parisian offensive hierarchy. Despite his statistics, Barcola had to deal with particularly tough competition, notably that of Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while he started on the bench during the two Champions League finals contested by PSG. Luis Enrique wanted to keep him, but could not guarantee him the playing time necessary to continue his progress.
In Liverpool, the French international (32 caps) therefore hopes to have a conducive environment to fully express his potential. He also intends to use the experience acquired in Paris, where he enriched his record with two Champions Leagues. “My record at PSG? It’s not nothing. That’s what Luis Enrique told me: “when you win, it’s even harder, but with a track record like that, you want to win even more.” And that’s what I also try to pass on to my new teammates, my desire to win and especially my experience”added Barcola.
“The Premier League, I find it’s less tactical”
Adapting to the Premier League nevertheless represents a major challenge for the former Parisian. If his explosiveness and his ability to eliminate one on one can allow him to make a difference in the English championship, he still has to get used to football whose pace and physical demands differ from those of Ligue 1. “My ambitions this season with Liverpool? The championship, in fact, is very hard. There are smaller teams, but all the matches are tough there. The objective is really to win the championship, the Premier League. And if we can also win the Champions League, it will be even more incredible. I’m trying to adapt, because it’s really very different from PSG, especially in the style of play. But if I want to perform, I have to adapt as quickly as possible. The Premier League, I find it is less tactical. There are fewer changes on the ground. With my old coach, I had to come into the side, then it took my place. There, it’s very different. Otherwise, it’s very physical. In Ligue 1, I find that the players are physical. There are a lot of strong defenders. There, it’s the rhythm, in fact. It goes very quickly. You attack, you defend, you don’t have time to rest. That’s why I had cramps (laughs). »
Finally, Barcola also keeps an important objective in mind: to establish itself permanently in the French team. With the arrival of Zinédine Zidane at the head of the Blues, the winger was able to speak with the new coach, who asked him to continue to rely on the qualities that have made him strong since his debut at the highest level. “In the French team, Zinedine Zidane told me to play 1 against 1, to shoot, to cross, to come back and make defensive returns as I usually did. He told me to do what I know how to do. » Thus, Barcola now has a new opportunity to change status, both in club and in selection. His record transfer, his collective ambitions and his desire to gain consistency testify to the same determination: to finally take a step forward.
