From Lyon's Reserves to a £123m Liverpool Move: The Rise of Bradley Barcola
Liverpool have agreed a £123m deal to sign Bradley Barcola from Paris St-Germain, capping a rise that nearly stalled before it started. BBC Sport
The 23-year-old winger — nicknamed "the grasshopper" for his speed, agility and slight frame — has won three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues in three seasons at PSG. He also scored three goals for France at this summer's World Cup as Les Bleus reached the semi-finals. For a player who almost left French football entirely in January 2023, the trajectory is steep.
Barcola grew up in Vaulx-en-Velin, east of Lyon, kicking a ball on the local playing fields. He started his football at AS Buers at the age of six and came through Lyon's academy, making his way into the first team under head coach Peter Bosz. When Bosz was sacked in October 2022 and replaced by Laurent Blanc, Barcola lost his starting place and was dropped to the reserves. According to L'Equipe, he was close to joining Swiss side St Gallen the following January simply to get game time. BBC Sport
He stayed. Barcola won back his place and started the majority of Lyon's remaining matches that season, scoring five goals. One of them was a winner against Paris St-Germain in April 2023. Five months later, PSG signed him for a reported £38.5m — a move that came two weeks after Neymar left Paris for Saudi Arabia. BBC Sport
At PSG, Barcola became part of a side that dominated French football and conquered Europe. He broke into the France national team in June 2024, making his debut in a 3-0 win over Luxembourg, and has since accumulated 28 caps. French Football Federation He was named in France's 2026 World Cup squad — one of only eight Ligue 1-based players selected — and was among the substitutes for France's match against Senegal during the tournament. FFF
His path is not the only Lyon-to-PSG story that involved a falling-out. Teammate Karl Toko Ekambi stormed down the tunnel and kicked a rubbish bin after being substituted during a 2-1 home defeat by Strasbourg — and never played for Lyon again. BBC Sport Barcola's exit was far quieter, and far more profitable for Lyon.
What stands out about Barcola's journey is how close it came to fizzling out. A loan to St Gallen — a modest Swiss club — would have been a step into football's margins. Instead, a winning goal against the biggest club in France redirected everything. Now Liverpool are betting £123m that the grasshopper has even higher jumps left in him.
