Bradley Barcola tipped for Thierry Henry trajectory at Liverpool in surprise new position

Bradley Barcola is some way off emulating the feats of Thierry Henry.

But one major tweak could be the perfect tonic to make Barcola appear to be the reincarnation of the French icon.

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Although capable of playing anywhere across the front three, Barcola predominantly features on the left wing.

It is a position that allows the 23-year-old to maximise his strengths, whether that be bursting past defenders with blistering pace or turning them into a pretzel thanks to his remarkable close control.

What new position could Bradley Barcola play?

Yet European football expert Andy Brassell believes Barcola could take his game to dizzying heights by being moved to a central role.

“I know he’s not a right-sided player,” Brassell said on talkSPORT’s Trans Euro Express.

“He always plays on the left, and he can play elsewhere.

“I wonder if the sort of trajectory we’re looking at is the sort of Thierry Henry trajectory. I wonder if he ends up in the centre.

“There are people at PSG and staff at PSG who think they could coach him into being a 30 goals-a-season kind of guy.”

How did Thierry Henry perform once he became a striker?

Like Barcola, Henry was stationed on the wing early on in his career.

But former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recognised Henry was wasted out wide and famously told the player he would be better suited as a number nine.

And once Wenger reunited with Henry in 1999, having worked with the forward when he was a youngster at Monaco, he made that positional change.

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As they say, the rest is history.

Henry went on to become Arsenal’s record goalscorer, netting 228 times in all competitions.

Barcola may be about to get his chance of recreating Henry’s most iconic moments on English shores, with Liverpool agreeing to sign the 23-year-old for an eye-watering £106million, which could rise to £123m with add-ons.

Landing a wide attacker has been a priority for the Reds this summer following the departure of Mohamed Salah.

And Liverpool may not be done yet with bidding farewell to forwards before deadline day, as Cody Gakpo wants to join Manchester City.

Even if Gakpo remains at Anfield, there will be an almighty burden on Barcola’s shoulders to justify his price tag.

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Will Bradley Barcola feature as a striker for Liverpool?

It also won’t be easy for Barcola to embark on the same path as Henry in terms of transitioning from a winger to a striker.

That’s because of Liverpool‘s record signing Alexander Isak, who plays up top.

Hugo Ekitike, who remains sidelined after he ruptured his Achilles last term, is another who can lead the line.

As it stands, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola opts for a lone striker, meaning Barcola is unlikely to be paired up with Isak.

But once Barcola gets through the door and trains with Isak, Iraola may be tempted to tinker with a duo up front.

Or perhaps the Reds boss will heed Brassell’s words and be the man who changed the trajectory of Barcola’s career by turning him from a winger to a striker.