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After getting his bearings at Paris Saint-Germain following his transfer from Lyon, Barcola finally seems to have found his place in the French capital. Relieved of criticism and high expectations, the young talent has had a remarkable year with the Ligue 1 champions.
Getting regular playing time in an attack full of internationals and talent like PSG’s earlier this year has been a major challenge for most players in Europe. This was the reality that the young French international faced. Between Mbappé, Dembélé and others, his place seemed difficult to define.
However, thanks to the confidence displayed by Luis Enrique, he was able to seize the opportunities that presented themselves and quickly became an essential part of the team. At the start of the year, the PSG coach confirmed this trend with a glowing assessment of his impact: “It is a clear choice for the club to go and unearth such a young player, a youth international, with a strong personality and the quality of hatching. He’s already had quite a bit of playing time with us. He embodies the present and the future.”
A first match with the Blues
This statement perfectly illustrates the rise of Barcola, who not only meets PSG’s current needs, but also embodies the club’s future ambitions. His emergence into the team’s ranks has been all the more remarkable as it comes as PSG are often criticized for their reliance on established superstars. Barcola thus brings new life as a local talent evolving brilliantly within the French championship.
Having cemented his starting place at one of Europe’s biggest clubs, it was inevitable that call-ups to the national team would arise. Speculation about a potential call-up began to circulate around the March international break, with Didier Deschamps facing a reduced squad due to attacking injuries.
Despite this excitement, the Blues coach finally opted for Moussa Diaby, and Barcola had to settle for a place with the U21s. This selection will mark his final appearance in the ranks of the hopefuls selection.
With regular playing time came more consistent production. Although he struggled to show his consistency in the first part of the season, his progress accelerated. Barcola recorded 73% of his 11 offensive contributions in Ligue 1 in the second half of the season.
This great end to the season, crowned by the Ligue 1 champion title, led Deschamps to no longer ignore the striker: he was called up to the Blues group for EURO 2024 in Germany, despite the absence of senior team appearances. This choice, atypical for Deschamps, underlines the speed of Barcola’s evolution in a few months. And, during the competition in Germany, he quickly integrated.
Increased pressure
The striker made his debut in the final group match
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- Source image(s) : www.football-addict.com
- Source : https://www.football-addict.com/en/article/ligue-1/profile-bradley-barcola-fills-psg-s-kylian-mbappe-shaped-hole/677129a2b45ffe2f9c0dcb2e
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