Bradley Barcola arrived at Liverpool this summer as the club's answer to Mohamed Salah's departure — a £123m marquee signing from Paris Saint-Germain tasked with filling a void left by one of Anfield's greatest. Months into his debut Premier League season, the French winger sat down with Sky Sports for an exclusive conversation about pressure, patience, and what he left behind.

Not feeling the Salah pressure

The comparisons to Salah were inevitable from the moment Barcola's transfer was confirmed. Salah spent years delivering silverware and brilliance at Anfield; Barcola arrives having won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain. But the 23-year-old is adamant the weight of expectation is not affecting him.

"Regarding Mo Salah, he's a legend here. A huge one. He's done big things here and for that I have an enormous respect for him. But it's not pressure for me at all," Barcola told Sky Sports. "I'm not Mohamed Salah, so I'm going to try to contribute whatever I can to the club and make my own mark on its history."

He was equally unbothered by the £123m price tag attached to him. "I wasn't the one who decided the transfer fee," he said plainly. "So that's not been my problem."

A slow start, then signs of life

The opening weeks did little to ease nerves among Liverpool supporters. Barcola went without a goal or an assist in his first 10 appearances for club and country. Then the tide turned — a hat-trick in Liverpool's commanding Champions League victory over LASK was followed by back-to-back assists in Premier League wins over Brighton and Brentford.

Even a blank against Arsenal in Liverpool's 1-0 home defeat did not entirely dim his contribution; his first-half runs troubled the Premier League champions throughout. Barcola himself acknowledges there is still more to come.

"No, I don't think I'm at my best yet," he said. "You still haven't seen the best version of me. People are beginning to understand my style of play much better, and I think things are improving all the time."

Why he left PSG

Barcola's time at Paris Saint-Germain was defined by collective glory — two consecutive Champions League titles — but also by a supporting role. Under Luis Enrique, competition from Ousmane Dembele and others meant Barcola frequently found himself on the bench for the biggest European nights, even as he contributed in domestic football. It was enough to convince him a change was necessary.

"For me, it was the right time to leave PSG," he said. "I spent so many great years there and I won an enormous amount of trophies. But it was time. It was quite difficult because, over there, it was a real family. We'd built something very special together."

"When a club like Liverpool comes calling, it's a great thing. I didn't have any doubts and I just knew I had to come here."

Liverpool's work ahead

The club Barcola joined is still finding its feet under manager Andoni Iraola. Defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal at Anfield have highlighted the gap to the Premier League's elite, and the 1-0 loss to Arsenal was particularly stark — Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target at home, a record low since Premier League data collection began.

Barcola, however, refuses to lower his sights. "I don't think it has changed the goals for the season," he said. "We had the chances to score, even to win the match. We need to work on controlling the game more and playing more football on the ground — because we have players with the quality to do that."

"We know that other teams will drop points. So it's down to us to remain consistent until the end of the season."