Bradley Barcola has admitted that Liverpool are yet to see the best of him following his £123m summer move from Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds completed the signing of the France international at the end of August after a summer-long pursuit.
The 24-year-old has returned three goals and two assists from 13 appearances for Liverpool to date, but is yet to score in the Premier League. His strikes came courtesy of a hat-trick against LASK in the Champions League, with the forward following up the showing with back-to-back assists in his next two starts against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Mixed start and difficult goodbye
However, the Reds have since suffered back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Fenerbahce, with Barcola in particular struggling in the latter after being fielded in an unfavoured position as a centre-forward. Admittedly still finding his feet in England, the winger insists it was the right time for him to leave PSG and is confident that his new club will soon see the best of him after a mixed start.
"For me, it was the right time to leave PSG," he said. "I spent so many great years there and I won an enormous amount of trophies. But it was time. It was quite difficult because, over there, it was a real family. We'd built something very special together. On top of that, it was very difficult to leave and say goodbye to my team-mates. But ultimately, that's just how football is."
Ambition and confidence
"Ever since I was young, I always had the ambition of playing in the Premier League. When a club like Liverpool comes calling, it's a great thing. I didn't have any doubts and I just knew I had to come here. I'm happy to be here, and I hope things go well for PSG," he added.
"No, I don't think I'm at my best yet. You still haven't seen the best version of me. On top of that, we're working with my team-mates so that they can make the most of my strengths. So yes, I think once we really develop that understanding, things will get much better. And I think things are improving all the time. People are beginning to understand my style of play much better. I think it's going much better."
No pressure replacing Salah
Barcola became Liverpool's second-most expensive signing of all time behind Alexander Isak, while the Frenchman was the Reds' marquee signing in a summer that also saw Mohamed Salah call time on a trophy and goal-laden nine years at Anfield.
One of three £100m+ forwards in Andoni Iraola's attack, the 24-year-old insists he is not phased by his price-tag and feels no pressure of succeeding Salah on Merseyside. "First of all, I wasn't the one who decided the transfer fee," he told Sky Sports. "So that's not been my problem. And regarding Mo Salah, he's a legend here. A huge one. He's done big things here and for that I have an enormous respect for him. But it's not pressure for me at all. I'm not Mohamed Salah, so I'm going to try to contribute whatever I can to the club and make my own mark on its history. I don't feel any pressure about that."
