Bradley Barcola: PSG's New Star Helps in Post-Mbappé Production

The question facing Paris Saint-Germain this 2024-25 season was how they would replace Kylian Mbappé after the Frenchman left this summer to join Real Madrid.

Mbappé scored 44 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions, so it's a challenging task for Luis Enrique and his team, but Bradley Barcola is one player stepping up to help replace the production.

Barcola has also taken over the left wing position that the 25-year-old left behind and if his first two Ligue 1 matches of the 2024-25 season are an indicator, he's ready for this level of responsibility.

On Matchday 1, Barcola came off the bench and scored against Le Havre as PSG pulled away late for the 4-1 win. The 21-year-old started on Matchday 2 against Montpellier Hérault SC and scored a brace in the 6-0 victory.

The Parisians have scored ten goals in their first two games this season, and Barcola is at the heart of this offensive output.

In May, the former Olympique Lyonnais standout spoke to UEFA and he noted that training alongside players like Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé can only help him keep improving, as the interview is a good foreshadowing of how this new campaign has played out for Barcola.

"I told myself [when arriving at PSG] that I would play my own game on the pitch and we would see what happens. Honestly, I was very well received. They would talk to me, ask me how things were going, if I liked Paris. It went well."

"You can only get better when you train with [players like Mbappé and Dembélé]. Off the field, we have a right laugh together. They are older, but at the same time they are quite like us [younger players] too; they're young at heart."

During PSG's run to the UEFA Champions League semifinal, the winger played a significant role as he scored against Real Sociedad in the Round of 16 matchup. Then, in the quarterfinals versus Barcelona, Barcola provided an assist.

Barcola's performance in 2024 didn't go unnoticed by France's national team manager, Didier Deschamps. The 55-year-old called up Barcola to be part of Les Bleus at UEFA Euro 2024 and featured in three matches, including starting one match.

The start of the 2024-25 season couldn't be going any better for Barcola, and credit has to also go to Enrique. When the forward arrived last summer, he noted in an interview to PSG's official website that the two would mesh well together.

"He made me want to sign for the club even more. He likes to play attacking football, so of course that appeals to me and I know that it will be a privilege to be able to play in that way. I am very happy that I will be coached by a coach like that."

The campaign is only getting started, but Barcola is on a mission this season to show football fans everywhere that there's a new French star on the scene.

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