Barcola - the 'grasshopper' who has overcome setbacks
As Liverpool agree a £123m deal for Bradley Barcola, BBC Sport looks at how he has ridden triumphs and setbacks to reach the top with the help of his family.
Bradley Barcola, a young footballer born in 2002, had a career that seemed to be stalling until recently. After being a regular starter for Lyon under Peter Bosz, he was eventually replaced by Laurent Blanc in October 2022. Struggling with lack of playing time, Barcola was even close to joining Swiss club St Gallen in January 2023.
The situation became worse when a team-mate's act of petulance led to first-choice forward Karl Toko Ekambi being targeted by fans. However, Barcola seized the opportunity and started the majority of the remaining matches that season, scoring five goals, including a winner against Paris St-Germain. He then moved to PSG in a £38.5m deal, making his debut against Lyon, where he was booed by the fans.
Barcola, nicknamed the 'grasshopper', has since won three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues with PSG. He was also part of France's World Cup squad that reached the semi-finals. Barcola's journey to becoming a superstar was not without challenges. He comes from a family that encouraged him to take up football from a young age and is now worth nine figures, having moved to Liverpool for a £123m deal.
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