How much is Bradley Barcola now worth?

Paris Saint-Germain’s purchase of Bradley Barcola (22) from Olympique Lyonnais during the 2023 summer transfer window looked to be a significant risk for the capital club, as they were spending around €50 million on a player who had only just broken into the Lyon first team in the second half of the 2022/23 season.

Barcola looked like a raw recruit, one with the potential for immense talent, but still with a lot to learn which was somewhat concerning as he was entering a team where Kylian Mbappé (25) already occupied his preferred position on the left of the attack, meaning it wasn’t exactly clear how much game time Barcola would command.

However, the risk was quite quickly proven to be one worth taking as the left-winger adjusted to life in the capital swiftly, in part because of Luis Enrique’s use of Mbappé as a number nine, meaning Barcola was provided time to develop and demonstrate his talent.

A first France call-up and a domestic double was the reward for Barcola’s move north, and with the departure of Mbappé this summer, the young left-winger has been provided with the keys to the PSG attack becoming the top scorer in the league with seven goals in eight appearances.

This quick ascent has left a question remaining over how much Barcola’s price tag has increased since his move to PSG. Speaking to L’Équipe, an English scout informed the paper that he expected the price to be above €80 million, stating “What fuels the recent increase in his value is his efficiency.”

However, the French paper writes that Barcola is still a step below commanding a similar price to players like Vinicius Jr., Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal, and even players like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, with an English recruiter telling L’Équipe that “He still needs to improve his efficiency in the very big Champions League matches. I’d place his value as similar to Michael Olise of Bayern Munich (who was sold for around €60 million).”

While a French scout told the paper, “If a club were to come to the negotiating table with an offer of €60 to 70 million for him, that’d be absurd…  if PSG opens itself to a sale one day, it will want to make it a symbol and send a strong signal. A statement: ‘If you want a young player from here, you’re going to have to come in force.’”

GFFN | Nick Hartland