Barcola embraces the challenge of replacing Salah at Liverpool: "You have to be absolutely decisive"

Bradley Barcola arrived at Liverpool this summer carrying a label that is impossible to ignore: he is the player expected to fill the void Mohamed Salah will eventually leave in the Reds' attack. In an interview with Téléfoot, the French winger did not shy away from that responsibility and made it clear he has come to take on a starring role from day one. The pressure, far from weighing him down, is fuelling him.

• Barcola recorded 21 goals and 20 assists in 2024/25 with PSG, adding 13 more goals in 2025/26 before leaving.
• The Frenchman accepts the pressure of the transfer: he wants to be decisive to stand out at an elite club.
• He lost prominence in Paris due to competition from Doué and Kvaratskhelia, which accelerated his move to the Premier League.
• In his early games with the Reds he has already scored his first hat-trick and provided an assist for Alexander Isak.
• Zinedine Zidane has asked him to exploit one-on-ones, shoot and help defensively to cement his place with France.

The pressure of being Salah's heir in Liverpool's attack

When a club pays a record fee for a forward, there is no patience. Barcola knows this and says it openly. The attacker explained that in an operation of this magnitude nobody expects a long adaptation period: they expect you to win matches.

What is expected of me? I think that, in a transfer like this, you are expected to be decisive. There are many great forwards, but when you arrive at a team like this, you have to be absolutely decisive if you want to stand out.

The shadow of Mohamed Salah is long at Anfield. The Egyptian has defined an era and any winger who arrives will be measured against that standard. However, Barcola does not seem to feel dizzy. His message points to the ambition of someone who understands that the Anfield stage is a unique opportunity to prove his level to the world.

From losing his place in Paris to being reborn in the Premier League

Barcola's statistics at Paris Saint-Germain were extraordinary. In his last full season, the 2024/25 campaign, he finished with 21 goals and 20 assists. The following year he added another 13 goals even though his presence in the starting eleven was gradually reduced.

The emergence of Désiré Doué and the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia closed the tap on his minutes. Luis Enrique wanted to keep him, but could no longer guarantee him a continuous role. The clearest evidence came in the two Champions League finals PSG played, where Barcola watched from the bench.

That scenario pushed the Frenchman to seek a change of scenery. The Premier League appeared as the ideal destination to recover the status he had been losing. And Liverpool, in need of a new wide threat, bet heavily on him.

The lessons from Paris that Barcola wants to bring to Anfield

Despite the departure, Barcola does not dismiss his time at PSG. On the contrary, he recognises the value of the trophy cabinet he built there and the weight of having experienced a winning culture from such a young age. That experience, he says, is what he now tries to transmit to his new teammates.

When I was in Paris, I did not realise what we were doing, because we just kept winning. That is what Luis Enrique told me: 'When you win, everything becomes even harder, but with a record like that, you want to win even more.'

That winning mentality is an asset Liverpool especially value. In a dressing room used to fighting for every title, adding a player who has already lifted major trophies brings an extra competitive edge. Barcola understands this and wants to prove it with actions on the pitch.

Adapting to English football: less tactical, more pace and heavy contact

The leap from Ligue 1 to the Premier League requires a period of adjustment. Barcola admits that the English style of play is radically different from what he was used to in Paris. His main task now is to speed up that transition to perform at the highest level as soon as possible.

I am trying to adapt, because it is very different from what I experienced at PSG, especially in terms of the style of play. But if I want to perform at a good level, I have to adapt as quickly as possible.

The Frenchman describes the Premier League as a less tactical competition, with fewer positional changes across the pitch, but far more physical. The tempo is relentless: you attack, you defend and there is no time to rest. In Ligue 1 there are also strong defenders, he admits, but the difference is the speed at which everything is played.

The French national team, the big target of the season

Beyond Liverpool, Barcola has another clear goal: to establish himself in the French national team managed by Zinedine Zidane. The winger has already held conversations with the coach, who has given him very specific instructions to earn a regular place in the starting eleven of Les Bleus.

Zinedine Zidane told me to look for one-on-ones, to shoot and to help defensively. He told me to do what I know how to do.

The season has barely started: seven league rounds, two European matches and one international break. Barcola's early form is encouraging. A hat-trick with Liverpool and an assist for Alexander Isak in recent days have shown that the talent that dazzled in Paris is still intact. Now it is time to maintain that level and prove that, this time, the spotlight will not slip away from him.