Bradley Barcola in action for PSG, with Mikel Arteta and Andoni Iraola in circular insets
Bradley Barcola in action for PSG, with Mikel Arteta and Andoni Iraola in circular insets
Mikel Arteta is determined to add a new left-winger to his squad this summer, and the 23-year-old has long been on their radar, sparking new plans to make a move.
After his decision to turn down a contract extension at PSG, the France international is eyeing a move to the Premier League, and Liverpool will now face stiff competition.
The Merseyside giants have held talks over a deal with the European champions but there is a sizeable gap in the two clubs' valuation of the player.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Arsenal are now ready to challenge Liverpool over Barcola after failing to land their other options.
This comes after the Gunners missed out on signing Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, who instead opted to sign a bumper new contract to extend his stay at Los Blancos.
They have now turned their attentions back to Barcola, who has also emerged as Liverpool's top target, and the clubs are set to go head to head in the window's closing stages.
Could Arsenal reignite their interest in Bradley Barcola?
Football Insider revealed on 11 August that Arsenal have the financial capability to beat Liverpool to Barcola's signature and are lining up a move to hijack their pursuit.
The Gunners had over £100million set aside for their pursuit of Vinicius Junior, and are now prepared to put thoes funds towards reaching an agreement with PSG.
Liverpool remain the front-runners in their pursuit of Barcola, but with last season's Premier League champions now in the race, they could struggle to get a deal done.
"Arsenal are still going to need a winger after missing out on Vinicius Junior," Brown told Football Insider.
"They've been looking at a few big names, because they want to make a statement signing after winning the league, and it looks like Bradley Barcola is next on their list.
"They're ready to make that move now, because Vinicius Junior was the one they really wanted, but it was never likely to go ahead.
"Arsenal have the money to do a deal, Barcola seems like he's going to be available because PSG have better options ahead of him, so it would make a lot of sense.
"We spoke before about Liverpool being interested, but they're not alone, so it's not going to be easy for either club to get a deal done now."
What is the latest on Liverpool's pursuit of Barcola?
Arsenal's interest in making a move for Barcola looks set to impact Liverpool's plans, with Andoni Iraola's side having hoped to move quickly to agree a deal.
Following the departure of Mohamed Salah, the Reds are determined to bring in at least one new winger, with the France international quickly emerging at their top target.
Football Insider revealed on 31 July that Liverpool are in pole position to sign Barcola and are edging closer to agreeing a deal with PSG.
The Reds have yet to make a formal offer for his services but are stepping up their interest as negotiations with his camp intensify, with work ongoing in the background.
Barcola has impressed since joining PSG in 2023, with a particularly standout season in 2024-25 as he registered 21 goals and 18 assists in 58 appearances.