Bradley Barcola is still waiting to make an impact at Liverpool since his move from PSG, with the winger building up his fitness and adjusting to the league.
Bradley Barcola of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur
Bradley Barcola is still adjusting to his time at Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images))
Former player Danny Murphy has backed Bradley Barcola to be a success at Liverpool, as the summer arrival continues to adjust to his new life with the Reds.
After weeks of negotiating, the Merseyside outfit managed to land the winger from Paris Saint-Germain, paying a huge $166 million fee for his services.
At 23 years old, Barcola has already played at a high level for both club and country, injecting plenty of pace and skill with his ability from the left flank, while there is a belief that he can get even better.
Liverpool is certainly banking on that, considering the huge investment and the hope that he can replace the output of Mohamed Salah while getting the rest of the forward line to click alongside him.
There have been promising signs from Barcola so far, though the France international is still waiting on his first goal or assist after four matches so far.
Some of that may be due to a lack of match fitness after missing almost all of preseason with PSG, or to the general adjustment to life that comes not only from moving to a new country but also from playing in a brand-new league with different skill sets on display.
With that in mind, former player Murphy believes that Barcola will come good for Liverpool, as he told GOAL : "I think whether you move for £100 million or £10 million or £100,000, wherever you are, if you're a forward player, you want to start showing not just the fans, but the players around you what you're capable of.
“I thought his performance against Atletico was of a high level. You could see all the quality, he looked sharp. I know he got a bit tired later on and you could argue he struggled against Fulham. Because of that, he doesn't look fully fit yet to play all the games.
Bradley Barcola of Liverpool
Bradley Barcola of Liverpool(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
“But that little cameo, that counter with [Florian] Wirtz, when he went through one-on-one and it went past the post, in an ideal world, that goes in and all of a sudden he's off and running.
“But I don't really worry for him the same way I would as players of less stature. Somebody who has been around a huge football club with expectation for a long time and played at the highest level with brilliant footballers and thrived. So, I don't see that really denting his confidence or his ability to get in those positions and score again."
Murphy then made a comparison to Florian Wirtz, who has struggled since his move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen, and is looking to make a mark this season.
“Whereas other players, maybe if you think of Wirtz, who came from a lesser club, if you like, Leverkusen with a similar price tag, the pressure on his shoulders has been building for quite a long period now," he continued.
“Whereas Barcola has literally just walked through the door and is more of a goalscorer anyway. So, I'm not concerned for him. I think it will come sooner rather than later because he's such a talent. I just think it's a matter of match fitness for him.”
It remains to be seen when Barcola can make it all click, with plenty of hope that it can come in the clash against Bournemouth over the weekend, before the international break.
Upon the return from the three-week break, there may be more expectations rising, as the winger reaches a better level of fitness and moves closer to the level that is anticipated.