How Bradley Barcola's €145m Liverpool transfer RUINED Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's PSG form

Barcola left the French capital this summer, completing a massive €145 million transfer to Liverpool. PSG quickly anticipated this movement, recruiting highly-rated youngster Mika Godts to reinforce the left side of their attack.

However, the transition has proved far more complicated than expected for the reigning European champions. The immense squad repercussions of Barcola's blockbuster departure to Anfield are now being felt across the pitch, but, as per Football365, they have taken a particularly heavy toll on the output of one man: Kvaratskhelia.

The statistics paint a striking contrast compared to last season. Kvaratskhelia was phenomenal during the previous campaign, netting eight Ligue 1 goals and adding 10 strikes in a spectacular European run. However, the start of the 2026-27 season has been a vastly different story for the Georgian international.

Across his first five league appearances, totalling around 280 minutes, Kvaratskhelia has failed to score and registered just a single assist. More worryingly, head coach Luis Enrique has shown no hesitation in cutting his appearances short. The winger was notably hooked after 65 minutes against Brest and hauled off after just 58 minutes during Le Classique against Marseille.

This sluggish start highlights Kvaratskhelia's historical tendency to fluctuate depending on the magnitude of the fixture. More importantly, this slump coincides with a profound shift in the PSG dressing room. Last season, under Enrique's ruthless principle of internal competition, Kvaratskhelia and Barcola fought fiercely for the left wing.

Whenever Barcola was introduced, his relentless runs behind opposition defences forced Kvaratskhelia to maintain absolute maximum intensity to keep his starting spot. Now, 21-year-old Godts has arrived from Ajax, but the Belgian lacks the elite status and experience to directly threaten Kvaratskhelia's position in major fixtures. Having made zero league starts, Godts has not yet provided the necessary spark to push the Georgian.

Barcola's departure is not the only factor, as competition has not entirely disappeared at the Parc des Princes. The rapid rise of Desire Doue, Ferran Torres occasionally shifting out wide, and the arrival of Maghnes Akliouche offer Enrique plenty of attacking rotation options.

However, none of these players possess the exact profile of a lightning-fast left winger capable of creating the fierce, position-specific rivalry that Barcola provided. If the international break allows Godts to step up, or if Enrique finds a new tactical solution, Kvaratskhelia could finally regain his lethal edge.