WHY Bradley Barcola Could Lead Liverpool's Next Great Attack

The real thing or a supermarket own brand, just how good is Bradley Barcola? [music] From a physical perspective, Barcola's profile is pretty decent. Now, compared to someone like Kvaratskhelia, he's quicker off the ground, records a higher top speed, produces more sprints, covers more distance at sprinting intensity. The only question mark is the overall distance per 90, which isn't particularly high. And you look at the Wyscout data, he wins 39% of his aerial duels, which is respectable for a winger, but he's only contesting one aerial duel per 90, where someone like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who can also operate as a second striker, competes roughly three times as often. Now, from the eye test, his biggest physical weapon is that devastating acceleration in transition. Bale-esque, he's exceptional at knocking that ball into space and exploding onto it, eating up huge distances with long strides. Now, once he gets into full flow, defenders rarely recover, which makes him lethal on the counter-attack. Aerially, it's a mixed bag. There's moments when he attacks the ball well, showing a decent leap, respectable hang time. There's also occasions where he's mistiming his jump or doesn't compete with conviction. So, he's not the sort of winger who's going to dominate the box in the air or regularly threaten from crosses. Overall, he's an explosive athlete whose pace and transitional power are genuinely elite weapons. Now, the only reservations I've got is potentially that work rate, but as we see in the defensive section later, not huge issue, and the fact that he doesn't consistently use athleticism in aerial situations. Statistically, Barcola's shooting rate sits comfortably in the very good bracket. Now, digging into the numbers, Kvaratskhelia's got the edge in terms of finishing under pressure, whilst both players offer a similar level of threat from open play. Barcola isn't really a set-piece weapon, but he's reliable off both feet. Now, there isn't one individual shooting metric that screams elite, but across the board decent. Whilst Got data generates plenty of non-penalty xG, so he's regularly getting into dangerous goal-scoring positions. Conversion rate of around 16% is solid, it's not spectacular. So, he's not one of the best finishers in Europe in terms of efficiency at the moment. From the eye test, what stands out is he's unpredictable. Defenders never quite know when he's going to chop inside, shift the ball onto either foot, or pull the trigger. And that makes him difficult to defend. It can also work against him at times. He overcomplicates situations that could be finished much easier and earlier. At his best though, he's capable of moments of genuine brilliance, ability slow down the game, change tempo, then explode past defenders. This is a trait which only top-level attackers possess, that slow and then injection of pace. This flashes of world-class quality in the way that he manipulates defenders before getting his shot away. Like I said, that execution though, it's inconsistent. He can snatch at chances, sometimes overrun with the ball. Technically, there's plenty to like. There's a range to his finish. His finesse finish, for example, looks natural. I think it's just about decision-making. If he can simplify his game in front of goal and become calmer in these defining moments, then he could potentially become a goalscorer from wide positions. Statistically, dribbling is Barcola's most surprising category. Now, despite his reputation as an electric dribbler, his dribbling rate is only 64.1, which feels underwhelming. Now, you compare him to someone like Kvaratskhelia, the gap becomes very noticeable. Kvaratskhelia is on top in terms of close control, ability to beat defenders in tight spaces, tackle resistance, overall consistency, all superior. The only edge Barcola has is carrying the ball over distance. Once he opens his legs, attacks space, then he's extremely dangerous. Wyscout numbers tell a similar story. Kvaratskhelia carries the ball more frequently, progresses the game more effectively, completes his dribbles at a higher percentage rate. So, Barcola's falling short of the elite benchmark despite flashes of brilliance. From the eye test, you can see that the numbers feel harsh. He's capable of wrong-footing defenders with no backlift or feints. He can inject explosive acceleration from a standing start in a way very few players can. He's got the ability to chop direction, manipulate defenders, produce moments of flair. Concern is when the space disappears. He gives the impression of a relatively lightweight winger. Footwork's not a problem. It's more the fact that against physical, powerful full-backs, he can get knocked off balance and struggle to power through challenges. So, he's relying on that pace rather than, you know, powering through like Leão can sometimes do when he's in devastating mood. Overall, I'd say, you know, undeniable talent, but the consistency is not quite there. Yes, he's explosive, but I want to see more robustness to his game, particularly if he's going to come to the Premier League. He's going to need that robustness to be a complete one-on-one threat because at the moment, if he's up against a prime Kyle Walker, you know, I wouldn't back him to consistently outrun him and outpower him. Statistically, Barcola is an efficient player in possession. He's not quite in the elite playmaking bracket occupied by players like Cherki. Now, looking at the gradient data in more detail, his link-up play under pressure is respectable, but it's not outstanding. When he has more time on the ball, the numbers don't really improve. His long distribution, switches of play are underwhelming. Outside of solid ball retention, there's very little statistically to suggest he's an elite distributor. Now, the Wyscout data paints a more encouraging picture. Heavily involved in his team's possession, completes comfortably over 80% of his passes, and falls into that bracket of a winger who wants to combine with teammates rather than just be isolated and focus on his dribbling. Now, from the eye test, you can see that the quality is there, capable of playing clever reverse passes, neat through balls, quick combinations around the edge of the box. He's definitely a link-up type winger. That said, I would have expected his intricate combination play to be a little cleaner. His one-touch exchanges, give-and-go sequences aren't quite as polished as the best technical wingers or his teammate Kvaratskhelia. He gives the ball away a lot more than what you'd expect. Doesn't quite have that elite footballing brain, I'd say Lamine Yamal, where every touch, every pass feels perfectly calculated. So, overall, somewhere in the middle. He's not a head-down winger who's just going to run and dribble, but he's not yet an elite playmaker, either. So, there's flashes, the vision is there, it's now about becoming more consistent and refined with his execution. Now, talk about vision and execution. Barcola's killer passing rate is 68.6, which is around the average mark, and you compare that to someone like Sherki, the gap is pretty significant. Going deeper into that data, even someone like Kvaratskhelia's numbers aren't outstanding, according to Gradient, even though he's got a reputation as one of the most creative wingers in Europe. What does stand out about Barcola is the crossing profile, and his inswinging deliveries are better than his outswingers, which makes sense because he is used to cutting in from the left and crossing it in with his right. But, it does raise a tactical question that if he was to play from the right-hand side, for example, for Liverpool, would that be an issue? Now, the Wyscout data favors Kvaratskhelia, attends more through balls, completes them more consistently, and gives off the vibe of a winger who's looking to unlock defenses. Barcola, not so much. From the eye test, though, I think the data undersells him. Hi

more distance at sprinting intensity. The only question mark is the overall distance per 90, which isn't particularly high. And you look at the Wyscout data, he wins 39% of his aerial duels, which is respectable for a winger, but he's only contesting one

aerial duel per 90, where someone like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who can also operate as a second striker, competes roughly three times as often. Now, from the eye test, his biggest physical weapon is that devastating acceleration in transition. Bale-esque, he's

exceptional at knocking that ball into space and exploding onto it, eating up huge distances with long strides. Now, once he gets into full flow, defenders rarely recover, which makes him lethal on the counter-attack. Aerially, it's a mixed bag. There's moments when he

attacks the ball well, showing a decent leap, respectable hang time. There's also occasions where he's mistiming his jump or doesn't compete with conviction.

So, he's not the sort of winger who's going to dominate the box in the air or regularly threaten from crosses.

Overall, he's an explosive athlete whose pace and transitional power are genuinely elite weapons. Now, the only reservations I've got is potentially that work rate, but as we see in the defensive section later, not huge issue, and the fact that he doesn't

consistently uses athleticism in aerial situations. Statistically, Barcola's shooting rate sits comfortably in the very good bracket. Now, digging into the numbers, Kvaratskhelia's got the edge in terms of finishing under pressure, whilst both players offer a similar level of threat

from open play. Barcola isn't really a set-piece weapon, but he's reliable off both feet. Now, there isn't one individual shooting metric that screams elite, but across the board decent.

Whilst got data generates plenty of non-penalty xG, so he's regularly getting into dangerous goal-scoring positions. Conversion rate of around 16% is solid, it's not spectacular. So, he's not one of the best finishers in Europe in terms of efficiency at the moment.

From the eye test, what stands out is he's unpredictable. Defenders never quite know when he's going to chop inside, shift the ball onto either foot, or pull the trigger. And that makes him difficult to defend. It can also work

against him at times. He overcomplicates situations that could be finished much easier and earlier. At his best though, he's capable of moments of genuine brilliance, ability slow down the game, change tempo, then explode past defenders.

This is a trait which only top-level attackers possess, that slow and then injection of pace. This flashes of world-class quality in the way that he manipulates defenders before getting his shot away. Like I said, that execution though, it's inconsistent. He can snatch

at chances, sometimes overrun with the ball. Technically, there's plenty to like. There's a range to his finish. His finesse finish, for example, looks natural.

I think it's just about decision-making. If he can simplify his game in front of goal and become calmer in these defining moments, then he could potentially become a goalscorer from wide positions.

Statistically, dribbling is Barcola's most surprising category. Now, despite his reputation as an electric dribbler, his dribbling rate is only 64.1, which feels underwhelming. Now, you compare him to someone like Kvaratskhelia, the gap becomes very noticeable. Kvaratskhelia is on top in

terms of close control, ability to beat defenders in tight spaces, tackle resistance, overall consistency, all superior. The only edge Barcola has is carrying the ball over distance. Once he opens his legs, attacks space, then he's extremely dangerous. Wyscout numbers

tell a similar story. Kvaratskhelia carries the ball more frequently, progresses the game more effectively, completes his dribbles at a higher percentage rate. So, Barcola's falling short of the elite benchmark despite flashes of brilliance. From the eye test, you can see that the numbers feel

harsh. He's capable of wrong-footing defenders with no backlift or feints. He can inject explosive acceleration from a standing start in a way very few players can. He's got the ability to chop direction, manipulate defenders, produce moments of flair.

Concern is when the space disappears. He gives the impression of a relatively lightweight winger. Footwork's not a problem. It's more the fact that against physical, powerful full-backs, he can get knocked off balance and struggle to power through challenges.

So, he's relying on that pace rather than, you know, powering through like Leão can sometimes do when he's in devastating mood. Overall, I'd say, you know, undeniable talent, but the consistency is not quite there.

Yes, he's explosive, but I want to see more robustness to his game, particularly if he's going to come to the Premier League.

He's going to need that robustness to be a complete one-on-one threat because at the moment, if he's up against a prime Kyle Walker, you know, I wouldn't back him to consistently outrun him and outpower him.

Statistically, Barcola is an efficient player in possession. He's not quite in the elite playmaking bracket occupied by players like Cherki. Now, looking at the gradient data in more detail, his link-up play under pressure is respectable, but it's not outstanding.

When he has more time on the ball, the numbers don't really improve. His long distribution, switches of play are underwhelming. Outside of solid ball retention, there's very little statistically to suggest he's an elite distributor. Now, the Wyscout data

paints a more encouraging picture. Heavily involved in his team's possession, completes comfortably over 80% of his passes, and falls into that bracket of a winger who wants to combine with teammates rather than just be isolated and focus on his dribbling.

Now, from the eye test, you can see that the quality is there, capable of playing clever reverse passes, neat through balls, quick combinations around the edge of the box. He's definitely a link-up type winger. That said, I would

have expected his intricate combination play to be a little cleaner. His one-touch exchanges, give-and-go sequences aren't quite as polished as the best technical wingers or his teammate Kvaratskhelia. He gives the ball away a lot more than what you'd

expect. Doesn't quite have that elite footballing brain, I'd say Lamine Yamal, where every touch, every pass feels perfectly calculated. So, overall, somewhere in the middle. He's not a head-down winger who's just going to run and dribble, but he's not yet an elite

playmaker, either. So, there's flashes, the vision is there, it's now about becoming more consistent and refined with his execution.

Now, talk about vision and execution. Barcola's killer passing rate is 68.6, which is around the average mark, and you compare that to someone like Sherki, the gap is pretty significant. Going deeper into that data, even someone like Kvaratskhelia's numbers aren't

outstanding, according to Gradient, even though he's got a reputation as one of the most creative wingers in Europe.

What does stand out about Barcola is the crossing profile, and his inswinging deliveries are better than his outswingers, which makes sense because he is used to cutting in from the left and crossing it in with his right. But,

it does raise a tactical question that if he was to play from the right-hand side, for example, for Liverpool, would that be an issue? Now, the Wyscout data favors Kvaratskhelia, attends more through balls, completes them more consistently, and gives off the vibe of

a winger who's looking to unlock defenses. Barcola, not so much. From the eye test, though, I think the data undersells him. His pace buys him an extra second to lift his head and assess his options, and that ability to create

time for himself means that his weight of pass is better than most wide players. I like his reverse passing when he's driving towards goal and spots midfield runners arriving late. He disguises those passes really well. So, I think players that, for example,

Szoboszlai, Bruno Guimarães, Declan Rice, if you depending on if course Liverpool, Arsenal, I think they'd thrive making those delayed runs beyond him because I think Barcola's got the vision to find them. Where I have reservations is that central through

ball play. Doesn't give me the feel of a number 10 type player who can slice open defenses with delicate final passes.

For an attacking winger, Barcola's defensive numbers are genuinely impressive. His defending grade places him comfortably in the very good bracket, and if you go deep into the numbers, the picture is consistently positive. One-on-one defending, above average. Tackling, solid. Positioning

and blocking, both respectable. There's no obvious weaknesses across his defensive profile. He's not an elite defensive specialist, but for a wing forward, excellent foundation. I think the Wyscout data backs that up. Healthy number of defensive duels, respectable volume of interceptions, and overall

contributes far more defensively than many attack-minded wide players. Compared to say Leão, for example. From the eye test, we can see that his agility, his acceleration allows him to stay with tricky wingers when he tracks back, while his pace makes him an

effective presser. He closes down aggressively, he covers ground quickly, and he rarely gives defenders or goalkeepers much time to settle in possession. If you're trying to play out from the back, Barcola is the sort of winger you don't want chasing you.

Overall, he isn't someone who's just going to wait for transition, puts in the work defensively, has the athleticism to recover into shape, and gives his fullback genuine support. So, for a player whose reputation's been built on his attacking talent, I think

his defensive contribution is an underrated strength. From a tactical perspective, PSG predominantly line up in a 4-3-3 with Barcola featuring on both wings. Though, he's been mainly used from the left as part of the rotation with Kvaratskhelia.

Now, from the left, his game is built around injecting pace into attacks almost out of nothing. Also, he provides more verticality than a Kvaratskhelia.

His first instinct is to drive inside onto his stronger right foot, attract defenders, and create enough separation to get shot away. Interestingly, he doesn't always go for that far post finesse finish. He's also willing to attack the near post, bit like an

Mbappé, which makes him less predictable. But, I want to see more quality in his shot execution. On the right, his profile changes. Doesn't quite carry the same level of go for it.

Becomes more of a creator. His link-up play is cleaner, happy to combine with teammates. Once he goes to the byline, he can either drive outside, put a ball in, or play that ball back towards the midfield, towards the edge of the box.

Now, that versatility means that he can operate on either flank, depending on what the team needs. Now, looking at Liverpool, it could be a match made in heaven. Under Areola, you'd expect a more aggressive, vertical style with that front four constantly attacking

space and overwhelming teams in transition. Barcola's biggest weapon is exactly that, exploding into open grass. So, the quicker Liverpool can move that ball from defense into attack, the more dangerous he could become.

In conclusion, Bradley Barcola has had the misfortune of playing for one of the most stacked teams in world football in attacking areas. And I think when you look at him in the shadow of a Kvaratskhelia, someone whose football I

keep you, the strength that he brings to the table in these big match situations, he's just not going to be able to compete with that level of player in terms of displacing them from the team.

And then you have another sort of wonderkid coming through like Doué, who I think just has a higher ceiling than Barcola.

And it makes people look at Barcola in a different lens. I look at him and I think look back at the performances against teams like Tottenham, against players like Pedro Porro, who he absolutely wrecked in one-on-one situations. And think Barcola

coming to the Premier League for a manager, for example, let's just say he comes to Liverpool who likes and develops wingers well, and feels like he's the main man of the team, and he's given that platform to express himself,

I think you can unlock more from Bradley Barcola potentially, and I think he could then go on to hit world-class status. Could he be someone who becomes, you know, one of the best wingers of his generation?

Possibly, but I don't see him becoming an inter-gen level winger. There's not enough there from a football IQ point of point of view where he's going to be one of the greatest wingers to have ever played the game. I don't see that, but I do see

him being an impactful player if he does come into the Premier League, provided physically he adapts to the league well, and he's given the platform, and he he grabs it with both hands. The only concern I have about him is that

has that spell being on the sidelines a little bit at PSG affected him mentally to the point where he can't then become the face of a team. He has to grab this opportunity if it comes his way. Anyway,

let me know in the comments below what video you want me to do next. What do you think about Bradley Barcola?

Will he be a success? What do you think his transfer fee is worth?