In a recent tweet, journalist Gianluigi Longari claimed that Manchester City have identified Olympique Lyonnais winger Bradley Barcola this summer. It has been mentioned that Pep Guardiola’s side are showing interest in recruiting the Lyon-born talent in this ongoing transfer window.
Barcola’s Impressive Rise In French Football
Barcola came through the youth ranks of Lyon before going on to establish himself as a regular starter at the French club. The 20-year-old had a productive season at Lyon and did well to score seven goals and secure ten assists in 35 matches for them across all fronts.
The talented teenager was a consistent performer in the final third based on his average of 1.0 shots, 1.0 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. However, he lacked quality when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half, based on his pass completion rate of 72.4% in the French top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the French club will expire in the summer of 2026. Thus, it won’t be easy for Man City to get him on board for a reduced fee this summer.
What Will Barcola Bring To Manchester City?
Barcola is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet and can make some dangerous runs with the ball out in the wide areas. He has got the eye to play a few decisive passes in the final third and can also strike the ball well from long range.
The French whizkid deserves a ton of credit for scoring and creating his fair share of goals for Lyon last season. At 20, he has the potential to become a future star in European football as long as he continues to improve with each year.
We can expect Barcola to improve the quality of Pep Guardiola’s squad as he is good enough to challenge for a regular starting spot at Man City in the coming years.
Barcola would bring more goals and creativity to the Mancunian club‘s frontline. He might even help Man City challenge across all fronts in the future. Thus, Guardiola should focus on getting a deal done to lure Barcola to the Etihad Stadium before the end of this transfer window.
