Paris: There was a moment, not so long ago, when Bradley Barcola's career appeared to have stalled. Having earned rave reviews after nailing down a regular starting place in Lyon's starting XI under Peter Bosz, the 20-year-old winger was out of favor and in the reserves by the time the Dutch coach was replaced by Laurent Blanc in October 2022.
According to BBC, Barcola was close to joining Swiss club St Gallen in January 2023 in order to get more game time before an act of petulance by a teammate helped pave his return to the side. Fans were unhappy with the team's poor form, making first-choice forward Karl Toko Ekambi a target for their frustrations. The relationship between the Cameroon international and Lyon's ultras fractured further when he stormed down the tunnel and kicked a rubbish bin in frustration after being substituted during a 2-1 home defeat by Strasbourg. The incident was caught on camera, and Toko Ekambi never played for Lyon again.
That presented Barcola with an opportunity which he seized. He started the majority of the remaining matches that season, scoring five times, including a winner at champions-in-waiting Paris St-Germain in April 2023. Five months after that goal at the Parc des Princes, Barcola was a PSG player. His reported £38.5m move came with Lyon struggling in the table and unable to sign replacements due to financial restrictions.
Barcola, nicknamed the grasshopper because of his speed, agility, and slight frame, has since gone on to win three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues in his three seasons in the French capital. He broke into the France side two years ago and scored three times at this summer's World Cup as they reached the semi-finals. With Liverpool agreeing to a £123m deal to sign him, Barcola is on his way to the Premier League. It has been quite the journey from kicking a ball about as a schoolboy on the playing fields of Vaulx-en-Velin to becoming a superstar worth nine figures. But the path has not been without challenges.
Barcola's family has been with him on every step of his journey, from starting out as the shy boy who played for his local team AS Buers Villeurbanne to joining Lyon's academy at the age of eight, to making his Lyon debut 11 years later, to becoming a double Champions League winner with PSG in Budapest in May. Born Bradley Jean-Manuel Essolisam Addo Barcola on 2 September 2002, he has five siblings, including his older brother Malcolm, a goalkeeper for Ittihad Tanger in Morocco and the Togo national team. It was their mother who encouraged them to take up football, attending their matches and filming the brothers playing.
Long before Barcola, graduates from Lyon's academy included Karim Benzema, Arsenal FA Cup winner Alexandre Lacazette, and France 2018 World Cup winners Samuel Umtiti and Corentin Tolisso. More recent graduates include Manchester City forward Rayan Cherki and Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto. Aged 17, Barcola scored 11 goals in 17 league matches for Lyon's Under-19 team before signing his first professional contract two years later in 2021. During his rise to fame and fortune, Barcola has spoken about the importance of his family in keeping him grounded.
Barcola is Liverpool's statement signing, and with his expensive price tag comes pressure. He will be expected to hit the ground running but he does have form against Premier League opposition. Barcola has come up against numerous English clubs during his time at PSG. He scored in a 4-2 Champions League win over Manchester City in January 2025 before finding the net in each leg against Chelsea in the last-16 last season.
Personally, Liverpool is seen as a good fit for Barcola, especially because of Andoni Iraola. Iraola is known for improving players, and Barcola is not the finished product yet. Sometimes he runs and runs, and then his finishing is not always good. He needs to improve and is likely to do so under Iraola's guidance. Barcola's former France Under-21 coach, Sylvain Ripoll, describes him as "endearing" and having character on the pitch and in his decision-making. With Luis Enrique having described signing Barcola in 2023 as a "gamble," Liverpool now hopes to hit the jackpot with the grasshopper at Anfield.