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Bradley Barcola Sets Huge Goal After Completing Eye-Watering Liverpool Transfer

Barcola has gone for a “symbolic” jersey number at Liverpool.
Grey Whitebloom|
Bradley Barcola has put pen to paper on a Liverpool contract.
Bradley Barcola has put pen to paper on a Liverpool contract. | Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Bradley Barcola is nothing if not ambitious. The two-time Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain was unveiled by Liverpool as the second-most expensive signing in the history of English soccer on Monday and immediately set out to win the Premier League.

The fleet footed forward has been on Liverpool’s radar all summer, with a deal worth up to $166 million (£123 million) eventually finalized over the weekend. The news came as a boost for the Reds, who have started life under Andoni Iraola with consecutive, chaotic 2–2 draws.

There is hope for more arrivals to come, but for now Liverpool can be satisfied with a proven winner eyeing up more pots of silver.

“I hope to achieve very big things,” Barcola told the club’s official website. “First of all, winning the Premier League—it’s one of my biggest dreams in my life.

“It is to do that and to stay in this team in the long term—that’s why I signed a long contract—and I hope I can do it.”

Liverpool initially have initially agreed to pay $143.5 million for the 23-year-old, with a further $23 million available in add-ons which have been described as “easily achievable.” While that ranks only behind Alexander Isak’s $170 million move to Anfield 12 months ago in terms of the most expensive Premier League transfers of all time, PSG had initially demanded upwards of $196 million.

However, as Barcola stressed, it was not a straightforward set of negotiations.

‘A Long Time’—Barcola Outlines Winding Road to Anfield

“It took a long time but I’m really happy today to be able to play for Liverpool and all I want is to be on the pitch and be able to play,” Barcola beamed at his unveiling.

The France international had been tipped to move on from Paris for much of the summer after negotiations over a contract extension broke down. Arsenal were briefly credited with interest, but Liverpool were regularly billed as his most consistent suitors. Luis Enrique left Barcola as an unused substitute for PSG’s UEFA Super Cup victory over Aston Villa before dropping him from the squad entirely across the opening weeks of the new Ligue 1 season.

Barcola’s arrival has been a long time coming but, as he revealed, that admiration for Liverpool stretches well beyond the summer.

“I had the chance to play twice in this stadium and I saw the atmosphere and how the fans were behind the Liverpool players,” the speedy winger explained. “When I knew about Liverpool’s interest in me, I didn’t ask questions and I knew it was a very big club for me.”

Barcola Chooses ‘Symbolic’ Liverpool Shirt Number

Barcola has taken on Liverpool’s No. 29 shirt. While he may very well have been a fan of Arthur Melo’s disastrous loan spell in those digits, his choice harks back to a childhood memory of playing video games.

“When I was younger, I used to play FIFA,” he told Club Legacyz. “In the story mode with Alex Hunter, this number became symbolic for me. I thought to myself: ‘The day I go pro, it’ll be No. 29.’

“And here I am, I adopted it, and now I’ll never let it go.”

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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is an Associate Editor for SI FC. He has more than half a decade of experience in sports media across all its various guises, from the fast-paced demands of news articles and match reports to in-depth research required for features. Whitebloom graduated with a First Class Honours from University College London and found himself named on the Dean’s List—which, despite his initial fears, was a form of praise rather than a punishment. He specialises in the Premier League and Champions League, while also boasting an extensive track record of La Liga coverage.

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