Bradley Barcola’s career once appeared to have stalled. After earning rave reviews for securing a regular place in Lyon’s starting XI under Peter Bosz, the 20-year-old winger fell out of favour and was playing for the reserves by the time the Dutch coach was replaced by Laurent Blanc in October 2022.
According to L’Equipe,, external Barcola was close to joining Swiss club St Gallen in January 2023 to gain more playing time. His route back into the first team was helped by a team-mate’s act of petulance.
Lyon fans were frustrated by the team’s poor form and had made first-choice forward Karl Toko Ekambi the focus of their anger. The relationship between the Cameroon international and Lyon’s ultras deteriorated further when he stormed down the tunnel and kicked a rubbish bin 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 opened the door for Barcola, who took his chance. He started most of Lyon’s remaining matches that season and scored five goals, including the winner against champions-in-waiting Paris St-Germain in April 2023.
Five months after scoring at the Parc des Princes, Barcola became a PSG player. His reported £38.5m transfer came two weeks after Brazil forward Neymar left Paris for Saudi Arabia. Lyon were struggling in the table and were also unable to sign replacements because of financial restrictions.
“Barcola’s first game for PSG was back at Lyon,” Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, a football journalist for L’Equipe, told BBC Sport.
“He was booed by the Lyon fans because it was just after the transfer. PSG boss Luis Enrique asked Barcola, who was very young at the time, if he was ready to play.”
“He said yes, came on as a substitute, and it was impressive.”
Barcola, nicknamed the ‘grasshopper’ because of his speed, agility and slight frame, went on to win three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues during his three seasons in the French capital. He broke into the France team two years ago and scored three times as this summer’s World Cup as they reached the semi-finals.
With Liverpool agreeing a £123m deal to sign him, Barcola is now heading to the Premier League.
His journey from kicking a ball around as a schoolboy on the playing fields of Vaulx-en-Velin, east of Lyon, to becoming a nine-figure superstar has been remarkable. However, his rise has not been without difficulties.
“Barcola is hugely ambitious,” added Minonzio.
“He is from a generation of young French talent who are prepared to work hard and want to be a better version of themselves.”
“They will do whatever they have to do to get there. They don’t ask questions – they just do it.”
