PROFILE | Bradley Barcola fills PSG's Kylian Mbappé-shaped hole
12/29/2024 05:41 AM
After acclimatising to the pressures of his move to Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1 rivals Lyon in 2023, Barcola looks to have finally found his feet in the French capital. Freed from the pressure of the criticism and high expectations placed on him, the Frenchman has had a stellar year with the Ligue 1 champions.
Gaining regular minutes in an attack that boasted as many internationals and talents as PSG's at the start of the year would present a difficult task to most players across Europe – this was the task that the France international faced. With Mbappé, Dembélé and others vying for the same minutes as the Frenchman, it was a struggle to see where he would fit in.
However, following a display of trust from Luis Enrique, he took the opportunities handed to him with both hands and almost became an indispensable fixture in the Spaniard's side. At the turn of the year, the PSG boss confirmed this stance with a glowing review of his impact, "It is a clear bet from the club when we go out and find such a young player, a youth international, with a big personality and the quality to burst out. He has quite a few minutes for being in a team like ours. He incarnates the present and the future."
A France debut
This statement encapsulated Barcola's rise as a player who not only fits the present-day needs of PSG but also represents the club's future ambitions. The rise to prominence from the winger has been particularly impressive in its timing, with PSG often criticised for relying on established superstars. Barcola has thus brought a fresh narrative of being a homegrown talent developed and thriving in the French top flight. His appeal to fans and his seeming embodiment of the club’s future has made him an instant hit with Les Parisiens’ supporters.
Following his cementation of a starting spot at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, the calls for inclusion at the international level were only a matter of time. Increased speculation of a potential call-up for the forward began around the March international break with Didier Deschamps suffering from a reduced selection due to injuries in attack.
Despite the speculation, the Les Bleus boss opted to include Moussa Diaby in his squad and Barcola had to settle for a place in the U21s squad. This call-up would mark his final participation with the youth set-up at international level.
With regular minutes, came regular output from the attacker. He struggled for consistency in the first half of the season, but with the trust shown in him, contributions became more frequent. Barcola registered 73% of his 11 goal contributions in Ligue 1 in the second half of the season.
An impressive end to the season, with Les Parisiens being named Ligue 1 champions once again, meant that Deschamps could no longer deny the attacker a place in his France squad. He was named as part of the Les Bleus squad to represent his nation at EURO 2024 in Germany despite never making a senior international appearance – it was a deviation in strategy from Deschamps who is no accustomed to making such calls, calling up an uncapped player for a major tournament. It is a testament to Barcola and his rapid growth in the matter of just a few short months. And in Germany, he certainly didn’t look at all out of place.
Barcola has big shoes to fill
The forward was handed his debut in France's final group game against Poland. Since EURO 2024, the forward has now become a regular feature at the international level too. Making 11 appearances to date, he has scored two goals for his country, scoring his first against Italy in the UEFA Nations League.
In 2024, the Frenchman successfully navigated two challenges, yet his perhaps biggest challenge awaited him as the year reached the halfway point. After two years of speculation, Kylian Mbappé finally departed Paris Saint-Germain and joined Real Madrid. The France captain left an attacking void in the Ligue 1 champions' squad after scoring a third of the league goals the club scored during the 2023/24 season.
Many expected attacking reinforcements would arrive following the departure of the Real Madrid forward, however, when no move for an attacker materialised, one question remained – who will replace Mbappé? Luis Enrique perhaps preferred for his entire team to step up in the former AS Monaco forward's absence rather than sign another star forward. Yet, if there is one attacker who has stepped up, it's Barcola.
Second-top scorer in Ligue 1
Since the start of the new season, he has become the standard bearer in attack for Luis Enrique. Previously, the forward has found himself as a creator, using his pace and dribbling ability to create chances for others from wide areas. Nevertheless, this season, the former Lyon forward has been afforded more freedom to come inside and be more direct. This coupled with increased confidence has seen him reach another level in front of goal.
Only Jonathan David has scored more in Ligue 1 than Barcola in the second half of 2024. The France international forward has netted 10 goals so far this season.
Mbappé's absence has been noticeable at Paris Saint-Germain, there is no denying that. Luis Enrique's side have looked less potent in attack and their underperformance in the Champions League has seen grave criticism levelled at the former Spanish national team boss, as well as Barcola, whose form in Ligue 1 is yet to truly translate on the European scene.
Reaching new levels in front of goal, finding his feet at the international level for his country and being tasked with the impossible task of replacing the irreplaceable – 2024 has been a year full of accomplishments for the PSG forward. If the year is anything to go by, Barcola is likely to be a name we are talking about a lot more in the future.
