Here's What Bradley Barcola Would Bring to Liverpool | w/ Dave Segar
Bradley Barcola is the established, exciting winger Liverpool need - but what would the Frenchman actually bring to Adoni Iraola's attack? In this video, we break down Bradley Barcola's playing style, strengths, areas of improvements and tactical role, looking at why the 23-year-old could be the perfect fit for this Liverpool squad. From his direct attacking style, ball-carrying ability and chance creation, Bradley Barcola is one of Europe's most exciting young talents - but can he step into the void filled by Mohamed Salah. Check out the Opta Analyst website: https://theanalyst.com/ 📬 Sign up for the Opta Analyst Newsletter here for free: https://theanalyst.com/sign-up Follow Opta Analyst: Twitter: https://x.com/OptaAnalyst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoptaanalyst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optaanalyst/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@optaanalyst QUESTION - Have a question about a player or data? Drop it in the comments! bradleybarcola liverpool liverpoolfc
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Liverpool are in need of attacking reinforcements, and it's looking likely that Bradley Barcola could be Andoni Iraola's next summer signing. But what can he bring? We're joined by Opta analyst Dave Segar to discuss the transfer further. Dave, thank you for joining us. We're just a couple of days out now from the Premier League. How excited are you? >> Very, yeah. I mean, with the World Cup, obviously, uh you sort of felt, "Oh, maybe maybe it won't drag the summer quite as long cuz we've got this big, long, exciting tournament going on." But as soon as it finished, it's like the time between the end of the World Cup and now has felt like an entire summer. So, yeah, I'm glad it's here finally. >> Yeah, but it's been a relatively slow transfer window for Liverpool. Look, we've all seen the success PSG and Bradley Barcola have had. But for those that don't know much about him, what can they expect? >> it would be uh careless to call him the Mo Salah replacement if he was to arrive cuz not least he plays off the left rather than off the right, obviously, where Salah played. He can play on the right. I think it was 13% of his minutes were there for PSG last season. Andoni Iraola has said he likes his wingers to be able to play on both sides, so I'd expect him to play a little bit on the right, but I would imagine if Liverpool were to bring him in for the kind of money that's being mentioned, he'd play in his quote-unquote preferred position, which would be off the left. So, yeah, that's I think where we'd we'd see him in the main. He likes to create and score goals. In the 2024-25 season, he scored 21 goals and got 18 assists, which showed he can be pretty much as useful at creating as he can at scoring. In terms of his creating, he created 72 open play chances last season for PSG in all competitions, which was the most of any PSG player, which is obviously quite impressive when you consider who he's there with. Usually, when he's on the ball, he's trying to make something happen. So, yeah, I think that's something that's Iraola would would really like the sound of. >> Last time we spoke, you mentioned every Liverpool attacking signing is going to be classed as a as a Mo Salah replacement this summer. But what makes Barcola so special? Is it his ability on the ball? >> Yeah, as I say, he's very, very good on the ball. Um when he when he gets it, he's always trying to make something happen. He likes to stay out on that left, and then when he when he picks up the ball, either go down the line and get get a cross in or or drift inside of the say being right-footed, he does cut inside quite often. In terms of his carries last season across all competitions, Barcola averaged 0.9 chance creating carries and 1.6 shot ending carries per 90. And both of those were again the most of any PSG players. So it showed that when he got the ball, again, when you can you compare him to Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé, Ousmane Dembélé, players who are are so good on the ball, Barcola produced more often than they did when when he carried the ball. He's also dangerous running off the ball as well. He showed last season in the Champions League in particular and made 109 runs in behind for PSG when they were in possession. Only four players in the entire Champions League made more and again, it was a lot more than any other PSG players. So you could certainly see see how he'd he'd interest Aurelio. >> Look, he's still young. He's got plenty of time to develop, but what areas of his game need improving? >> Yeah, I mean I think I think there's in all areas he can he can improve a bit and I think that's going to be the exciting thing should Liverpool get him is that he's yeah, he's 23. So he can still be he can still he's still a little rough around the edges, so he can be polished further, so he could be even better than than he is now. I'd say probably the thing that stands out most and I think a few people might have cottoned on to is his finishing. You know, he's not a terrible finisher cuz he scored 21 goals a couple of seasons ago and then you can't do that by being a bad finisher and people might remember his goals against Chelsea in the Champions League last season, which were both really really good finishes. Scored three goals at the World Cup, which again all three were were very good finishes. Um but he's just he seems to have this issue when it comes to it's almost the easier the chance, the likelier he is to miss it. So in the last two seasons, his conversion rate of big chances is 28.7% of players from Europe's top five leagues there were 25 players who have had as many as 60 of those including Barcola and his conversion rate is the worst of all 25 of those players. His overall conversion rate when you factor in all shots in that time so the last two years have been 15.6% and of the 101 players from Europe's top five leagues with at least 150 shots in all competitions in that time, only 38 had a a finishing percentage than Barcola. And that's his conversion rate was ahead of the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Elye Wahi, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and was also interestingly ahead of Doue, Desire Doue, and Kvaratskhelia as well. So, yeah, I mean, it might just be people who have watched him might sort of feel like he's got this almost laid-back appearance to him. Like like sometimes the game feels a bit too easy for him, and it can feel that way sometimes with his finishing. But again, you know, new environment, new team, and still being young, I'd I'd expect him to improve on that. >> Look, there's no doubt in his ability, but can he be a success at Liverpool, especially in the Premier League? >> Yeah, I I think so. I mean, it's it sounds like it's going to be an awful lot of money, so he kind of have to be a success, I guess. But yeah, I mean, I I think you'd say he's he's been a success at PSG. So, he actually played more minutes than any PSG forward last season in all competitions. But of course, the way Luis Enrique managed it was he would rest what he considered to be his I'd guess first-choice front line of Kvaratskhelia, Doue, and Dembele in in a lot of league games preparing them for the Champions League. And Barcola, as much as he did do very well in the early stages of the Champions League, he didn't start I don't think any of their games in the Champions League after the Chelsea last 16. I think one area where it would it would be interesting to see how he adapts in the Premier League, which I think would be slightly different from the French League, is off the ball. So, his his closing down, his winning possession in the final third, he's very good at that. Or so it certainly was last season. Only Vitinha actually won possession in the opposition's final third more than than Barcola did for PSG last season. And one actually other thing which which Liverpool, any Liverpool fans watching, might might be encouraged by is our Opta Player Radar comparisons. When you look at Barcola's, it's particularly interesting because of the the four wingers who profile most similarly to him last season were Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal, and Vinicius Junior. So, pretty ideal and and pretty good company to be keeping.