Barcola Signals a Change in Philosophy at Paris Saint-Germain
With Kylian Mbappé set to depart PSG, Bradley Barcola has shown he is ready to step up and be the next superstar in the French capital.
From Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni, to Rafael Leão and Victor Osimhen, Ligue 1 had seen a fair share of young talent slip through its cracks and leave to other European sharks before French giants Paris Saint-Germain could retain the domestic refined talent.
You might think that Kylian Mbappé leaving AS Monaco for PSG in 2017 could deflate this argument, but frankly, Mbappe is an alien, an anomaly, and a one-of-one talent. More germane to the topic, his €180 million transfer fee from Monaco to PSG at 18 years old suggested that he would be an instant superstar from the onset—making his case unique from the others.
Barring arguably the best active player in world football in Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain has swung and missed on securing the signature of too many promising wonderkids from the French league. Unlike Bayern Munich, who basically strong-arm all the German talent pool from Borussia Dortmund and other Bundesliga clubs alike, PSG has mishandled the business of securing talented players from other French clubs under previous sporting directors. Only now under the direction of Luis Campos has the reigning French champions sealed the signature of a bonafide star in Bradley Barcola, after paying a €45M transfer fee to Olympique Lyonnais, before the likes of Chelsea FC and other top European clubs swiped him away.
Whether it's the daunted “PSG tax” that is unreasonably factored by other French clubs when negotiating with PSG or an unbalanced, star-heavy roster that kept promising young talent in Ligue 1 away from PSG before—that run of bad fortune has been flipped with the arrival of Barcola to the French capital. At only 21 years old, Barcola has reinvigorated the hopes of the Parisian faithful with his magical display of skills from the wing. He graces the pitch with relentless electricity while maintaining composure beyond his years. Each time the ball arrives at his feet, you sense a glee of anticipation from PSG fans everywhere as they succumb to his intoxicating appeal, waiting to marvel at his next trick.
As the footballing Gods would have it, Barcola made his PSG debut in a 4-1 away win as a substitute in the 75th minute against his former club. Even in limited action, as PSG dominated the match, the young Frenchman made an immediate impression on PSG fans with his smooth dribbling skills and shifty change of pace when running at defenders. Many Parisian fans may uncomfortably recall Barcola last season, in the 56th minute of the match, making a timely run into the 18 yard box to get on the end of cross to score the eventual crucial winner for Lyon against PSG, in what was their 7th home loss of the 2022-23 season.
In a span of 10 months, Barcola has gone from bringing agony to hearts and souls of PSG fans, to winning back their love through his electric, yet smooth and silky display of dribbling and 1v1 takes ons. Barcola has certainly impressed in his 29 appearances in all competitions for the French Giants, but it was in this season's UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match against Real Sociedad that he officially stamped his arrival to the rest of the footballing world.
In the 69th minute of the first leg against Real Sociedad, PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz released the ball to Barcola with acres of space on the left wing. Even from the television broadcast you can hear the noise decibel slowly increasing as the young Frenchman glided with single touches of the ball on his right foot into the open space with his lanky frame, sizing up the sociedad defender. In the blink of an eye, Barcola toe-poked the ball past the defender with a burst of acceleration that raised the decibel levels to another notch in the Parc des Princes. His next touch on the ball, as he arrived into the penalty box, was another toe poke that drove the ball past the goalkeeper and another oncoming defender into the back corner of the net to secure the 2-0 win for Les Parisiens. Not only did Barcola bag his first Champions League goal on this night, but he displayed his range of technical ability, pace, composure, and pure wizardry when running at defenders from the left wing.
Barcola’s arrival and electrifying performances couldn’t have come at a better time as reports by multiple sources have confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will leave PSG at the end of the season when his contract expires and likely join Spanish giants Real Madrid for next season. As Paris Saint-Germain prepares for life without France's number 10, a magnifying glass held by the french press and PSG fans will be hovering over the new signings in attack, to examine who will assert themselves as reliable options for PSG manager, Luis Enrique. Under no circumstances should Barcola or even Xavi Simons, who is reported to return from his loan at RB Leipzig next season, be categorized as direct replacements for Mbappé’s productivity. However, as the PSG project shifts away from blockbuster signings to a more youth development approach while constructing a balanced roster with depth, players like Barcola will be a linchpin to the new era at PSG.
Barcola has not necessarily lit up the stat sheets, as he's only recorded 3 goals and 5 assists in all competitions this season. This doesn't suggest that he isn't exciting to watch or not integral to PSG this season and moving forward. As it’s been evident for PSG strikers Gonçalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani this season, Barcola is also having to find his way and fight for crumbs in an attack that is heavily dominated and reliant on Mbappé.
In a recent league match against Stade Rennais, we got a first glimpse of Spanish tactician Luis Enrique beginning the gradual transition of the new PSG without Mbappé. After subbing off the former AS Monaco man in the 65th minute while Paris were down 1-0 in the match, Lucho stated in the post-match press conference that “...sooner or later, when it happens, we have to get used to playing without Kylian…”
From chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Luis Campos, to manager Luis Enrique—it has been made loudly clear to current PSG players and future arrivals, that there is a new way of life as a footballer in the French capital. With the departures of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., Marco Verratti, and inevitably Mbappé, the Parisian club is rolling out a precedent of prioritizing a love for the club and its fans over large wages and omitting a chain of command within the hierarchy of the club. At the heart of this newly proposed mentality of playing for the badge and building a true project from the ground up, Barcola represents part of the foundation that PSG wants to establish moving forward.
Football is exciting, anxious, and unpredictable. As new rules and regulations are brought into the game by the powers that be, it's refreshing to turn on the television and watch a player moving around the pitch full of confidence and displaying skills that can bring every one of those emotions to the forefront. With Bradley Barcola committed to Paris Saint Germain for the next five seasons, PSG fans don't have to live with the nightmare of seeing him scoring goals and dropping defenders for another shirt in the Premier League or La Liga. They can rest easy and prepare to be awed by world-class displays from one of the most exciting young players to emerge from the goldmine that is truly a League of Talents in Ligue 1.
Excellent analysis! Excited to see how PSG challenge in champions league under this new philosophy.