Bradley Barcola is expected to take a shirt number at Liverpool that carries a rather unexpected meaning if his proposed move from Paris Saint-Germain goes through.Liverpool are reported to have reached an agreement in principle with PSG for the 23-year-old forward in a deal worth £120 million, which would make him the club’s second-most expensive signing ever behind Alexander Isak. Barcola scored 14 goals in all competitions for PSG last season, and if the transfer is completed, attention will quickly turn to which number he chooses to wear at Anfield.
Why Barcola could wear No. 29 at Liverpool
There are several numbers available at Liverpool, including No. 11 following Mohamed Salah’s departure, as well as 13, 16, 17, 24, 26 and 27.Barcola, however, is expected to stick with the number that has followed him throughout his professional career: 29.If that happens, he would become the first Liverpool player to wear No. 29 since Arthur Melo during the 2022-23 season.The reason behind Barcola’s attachment to the number is far more personal than a typical shirt-number preference. In an interview with French publication Club Legacyz last year, the former Lyon winger explained that his love for No. 29 actually began while playing FIFA as a youngster, specifically through the game’s story mode featuring fictional footballer Alex Hunter.“It’s actually a funny story,” Barcola said. “When I was younger, I used to play FIFA. In the story mode with Alex Hunter, this number became symbolic for me. I thought to myself: “The day I go pro, it’ll be number 29.”“And here I am, I adopted it, and now I’ll never let it go.”That makes the number more than just a squad-number choice for Barcola. It dates back to a fictional career he followed in a video game before he had even become a professional footballer himself, and he has since carried that number into his real career.
Barcola’s celebration has a meaning too
The No. 29 is not the only part of Barcola’s footballing identity that has a personal story behind it.The Frenchman regularly points his fingers towards the sky after scoring, and he has previously explained that the gesture is his way of expressing gratitude.“Every player has their own way of celebrating, and for me, it’s by pointing my fingers to the sky,” he said. “I thank god for everything he’s given me. It’s my way of paying homage to him every time I score.”
Iraola keeps quiet on Liverpool’s transfer plans
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola was asked about the club’s pursuit of a wide player ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest, but he refused to discuss Barcola specifically while the forward remains a PSG player.“As you know, we are trying to sign in that position. We can’t talk about players who right now aren’t ours. But we are trying to improve and fill that position as we don’t have the numbers.“I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there.”Iraola admitted that even he does not yet know how the final days of the transfer window will unfold.“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Even myself, I have to be patient. Then we get to September 2, this is who we have and the options we have, then we can start thinking.“For now we don’t know. I have in my head what I want, we’ve been talking since the beginning with the club, they know what we want. It’s about closing the deals.“There are certain things we can but it’s true we need players in the wide areas. I’m sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don’t know how the market is going to finish.”With the deadline approaching, Iraola acknowledged that the uncertainty is difficult even from inside the club.“I have to be patient as well as you. It’s very uncomfortable for me as you are dealing with uncertainties all the time. In four or five days we will know what we have and then we can make proper plans.”If Liverpool do complete the deal for Barcola, the Frenchman could therefore arrive at Anfield with a £120 million price tag and a familiar No. 29 waiting for him — a number he chose years ago because of a fictional footballer in FIFA’s The Journey, long before he knew where his own professional journey would take him.