Chaos has ensued at the Emirates after Chelsea hijacked Arsenal and swooped for England attacker Morgan Rogers.
The Gunners made Rogers their top target heading into the summer transfer window and were pursuing a deal for the Aston Villa star. That was until their London rivals agreed on a British transfer record £117 million deal with Villa on Saturday.
This has thrown Mikel Arteta's plans into disarray and sent his transfer chiefs back to the drawing board. The name on most fans' lips as the ideal alternative is Bradley Barcola, and it appears the Premier League champions are ready to go all in for the Paris Saint-Germain attacker.
Arsenal Could Turn to Barcola After Rogers Snub
Bradley Barcola (France) celebrates after scoring vs EnglandPaul Childs via Reuters
Barcola has been on Arsenal's radar amid PSG eyeing RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande. In June, the Ivorian reportedly snubbed Liverpool and made a move to the Parc des Princes his preference.
This has cast doubts over Barcola's future with the European champions and as a result given Arteta a chance to sign the Frenchman. Tom Collomosse of Mail Sport has suggested the Gunners may now make a concrete move for the 23-year-old.
Collomosse wrote on X that he "wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal now made a proper move for Bradley Barcola." After preparing to pay big money for Rogers, it seems likely that they will switch their focus to the French international.
Barcola enjoyed a fine World Cup campaign with Les Bleus, scoring three goals and providing one assist in eight games. That included a superb strike in a 6-4 loss to England in the third-place play-off.
The French winger, described as a 'superstar', came into the tournament off the back of another impressive campaign with PSG. He managed 13 goals and seven assists in 49 games, albeit not as a guaranteed starter due to the star-studded attacking options in Luis Enrique's squad.
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Barcola Might Be a Better Signing Than Rogers
Bradley Barcolavia Reuters
For Arsenal, there is now pressure to sign a top-quality attacker after missing out on Rogers. That desperation could work in PSG's favour if they come calling for Barcola, as they will likely be willing to pay a huge fee for the former Lyon star.
Previous reports indicate that the Parisians value Barcola at around £112 million and claim that Liverpool are also interested. When you factor in how much Chelsea have spent on Rogers, it's understandable why the Ligue 1 champions will demand such a fee.
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Arsenal will look at other attackers after a move for Morgan Rogers was hijacked by Chelsea
Barcola is a different profile to Rogers given he is a modern winger whose main strength is his explosive pace. It could be argued that this is more of a fit for Arteta and a front three including the Frenchman and Bukayo Saka would certainly excite the Gunners fanbase.