When Paris Saint-Germain failed to sign a comparable player to replace Kylian Mbappé (25), who left to sign a free transfer to Real Madrid, many may have been taken aback during the summer transfer window. But with Bradley Barcola’s (22) strong start to the current campaign, Les Parisiens’ decision to forgo hiring a left winger may have shown to be correct.

In the summer of 2023, the former Lyon winger joined the Ligue 1 winners, leaving his childhood club. Because there was fierce rivalry at the time for spots in Luis Enrique’s front three, Les Gones supporters were perplexed by the decision made by the now-France international striker. In the French capital, Mbappé was seen as practically unstoppable, and given Barcola’s predilection for the left flank, it appeared that his playing time would be restricted.

Thus, for the first few months of the Lyon academy graduate’s tenure at the team, this was accurate. But before the end of the last campaign, the 22-year-old managed to force his way into Luis Enrique’s starting lineup and establish himself as a reliable partner for the Real Madrid forward.

Now that the France captain is in the Spanish capital for the start of the current campaign, Barcola has been PSG’s bright spot thus far. Is he the Les Parisiens’ substitute for Kylian Mbappé?

PSG has not had any difficulties thus far without the former Monaco attacker’s offensive prowess. The Ligue 1 winners, who are now undefeated in their division, defeated Girona handily in their Champions League opener to avert any upset in Europe. Barcola has played a key role in this beginning.

The Frenchman has thrived since Les Parisiens adopted a more liberated offensive strategy at the beginning of the season. The 21-year-old has been able to build rapport with his forward teammates thanks to a more synchronized front three, which has occasionally made the French capital club enjoyable to watch. The team led by Luis Enrique has scored 20 goals in its first six competition games.

The attacker has always scored goals; having been trained as a striker in the OL youth ranks, this is a skill he will have been looking to improve. Barcola has undoubtedly been productive in forward areas for Lyon and PSG, but he has typically created opportunities rather than placed the ball in the back of the net. The attacker made 51 games and scored 9 goals in his first two seasons in Ligue 1.

The PSG forward appears to have reached a completely new level in front of goal this season. As of this writing, Barcola is the league’s highest goalscorer. The France international has six goals in his first six Ligue 1 games. The former Lyon forward has started every game, although he has only played 374 minutes in total—not every minute of every match. With one of the finest strike rates in Europe, he scores a goal per 62 minutes of domestic play.

The attacker for PSG has never lacked confidence since making his debut at Lyon. But so far this season, it appears that the French forward has reached a new level of performance thanks to his increased responsibilities. He has taken on the persona of a leader when attacking. Although it’s common to say “lead by example,” Barcola is doing precisely that with his performances this term.