Bradley Barcola says he is not under pressure to replace Mohamed Salah at Liverpool and insists he has yet to show his best form since completing a €145m move from Paris Saint-Germain.
The France winger joined Liverpool during the summer transfer window in a deal worth €145m including add-ons. Although his performances have improved in recent matches, Barcola believes there is more to come.
“I do not think I have reached my best level yet, so you have not seen the best version of me,” he told Sky Sports. “We are also working with my team-mates so they can make better use of my strengths.”
Barcola said his understanding with Liverpool’s players was developing steadily and would help him become more effective.
“Once we really improve our understanding, things will get much better,” he added. “I feel there is constant progress. The players are beginning to understand my style of play better and I think things are going very well.”
The 21-year-old also rejected the idea that the size of his transfer fee had created additional pressure.
“To begin with, I did not set the value of my transfer, so that is not a problem for me,” he said.
Salah, who left Liverpool during the summer, is regarded as a club legend after making a significant contribution during his time at Anfield. However, Barcola said he did not view himself as the Egyptian’s successor.
“Mohamed Salah is a legend here, a very big legend,” Barcola said. “He did great things for this club and I have enormous respect for him, but I do not feel any pressure because of that.
“I am not Mohamed Salah. I will try to give everything I can to help the club and create my own mark in its history. I do not feel any pressure about it.”
Barcola said he had decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain after believing the time was right for a new challenge, despite enjoying considerable success with the French club.
“For me, it was the right time to leave Paris Saint-Germain,” he said. “I spent great years there and won a huge number of trophies, but the time had come to go.”
He admitted the departure had been difficult because of the close relationship he had built with his former team-mates.
“It was very hard because the atmosphere there was like a family,” Barcola said. “We built something very special together and saying goodbye to my team-mates was difficult. But that is football.”
The winger said he had no doubts when Liverpool made their approach.
“When a club the size of Liverpool contacts you, it is a wonderful thing,” he added. “I had no doubts and knew I had to come here. I am happy to be with the team and hope things go well for Paris Saint-Germain.”
Barcola also reflected on Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat by Arsenal, saying the result had not changed their objectives for the season. He believes, however, that Liverpool must improve their control of matches and keep the ball on the ground more often.
“We were very disappointed afterwards, but we know what we need to improve,” he said. “We will not give up. Other teams will also drop points, so we must maintain our level until the end of the season.”
