French forward Bradley Barcola has responded to criticism of his early performances for Liverpool, insisting that he does not feel under pressure to replace Mohamed Salah, who left the English club during the summer.
Barcola joined Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain in a €125 million transfer, with many viewing him as Salah’s successor. The Egyptian had been one of the key figures at Anfield for nine years.
However, the 24-year-old has yet to score in his seven Premier League appearances. Despite this, the Frenchman says he is not concerned either by the transfer fee paid for him or by comparisons with the Egyptian superstar.
“First of all, I wasn’t the one who set the transfer fee, so that’s not my responsibility. As for Mohamed Salah, he is a legend of this club. He has done extraordinary things, and I have great respect for him. But that doesn’t put any pressure on me,” Barcola said.
“I’m not Mohamed Salah. I will try to make my own contribution to the club and leave my mark on its history. I don’t feel any pressure because of that,” Barcola told Sky Sports.
Barcola Believes His Performances Will Improve
The French forward, who had been Liverpool’s main transfer target for more than a year, admits that he has yet to show his full potential.
Although he has faced difficulties at the start of his career in England, Barcola scored a hat-trick against Austrian side LASK in the Champions League last month, before going on to register his first two assists in a Liverpool shirt.
He believes that, with time and a better understanding with his teammates, his performances will improve even further.
“I’m still not at my best. You haven’t seen the best version of Bradley Barcola yet. We are working together with my teammates so that they can get the most out of my qualities. I believe that once we develop a better understanding on the pitch, things will improve significantly. Everything is getting better and better, and my teammates are understanding my style of play more clearly,” the Frenchman concluded.