Barcola brushes off price tag and Salah comparison as he targets his own Liverpool legacy
Bradley Barcola has insisted he does not feel the pressure of his price tag or from the challenge of replacing Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.
Barcola signed for Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial fee of £106m in the summer, a figure that could rise to £123m with add-ons.
The France international arrived having won back-to-back Champions League titles with PSG, though with a desire for a more prominent role amid fierce competition for places in Paris.
The winger endured a slow start at Liverpool but has shown encouraging signs in recent weeks. He opened his goalscoring account for the Reds with a Champions League hat-trick against LASK, and provided assists in Premier League wins over Brentford and Brighton.
Barcola has come under scrutiny due to his price tag, and the difficult debut seasons of fellow marquee recruits Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak last season.
However, the 24-year-old said he is not concerned by the price tag, or the challenge of replacing Mohamed Salah. Salah departed Liverpool in the summer after 257 goals for the club over nine seasons, but Barcola said he wants to make his own history at Anfield.
"First of all, I wasn't the one who decided the transfer fee," he told Sky Sports.
"So that's not been my problem. And 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.
"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. I don't feel any pressure about that."
Barcola insists Liverpool yet to see his 'best version'
Barcola added that he feels he has plenty of room for improvement at Liverpool. He said his new side are yet to see the best version of him, and backed performances to improve as he adjusts to his new teammates.
"No, I don't think I'm at my best yet," Barcola said.
"You still haven't seen the best version of me. On top of that, we're working with my team-mates so that they can make the most of my strengths.
"So yes, I think once we really develop that understanding, things will get much better. And I think things are improving all the time.
"People are beginning to understand my style of play much better. I think it's going much better."
