After three consecutive third-placed Premier League finishes, Arsenal will approach this summer’s transfer window looking to add what they hope will be the final pieces to a title-winning jigsaw.
Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi looks set to be the Gunners’ first major signing of the summer in a reported £51million move as Mikel Arteta looks to beef up his midfield.
Arsenal fans will then be hoping the next player on their shopping list will be an attacker, with the club’s lack of depth up front costing them dearly when injuries hit their front line last season.
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Arsenal knocked back in chase for superstar attacker
And while the latest player to be linked with Arsenal was not perhaps the out-and-out striker that fans are craving, reports linking the Gunners with a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola certainly raised eyebrows among supporters in north London.
Arsenal and the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also been linked with the 22-year-old left-winger who saw his playing time in the French capital drop over the second half of the season, mainly due to the January arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in a €70million move from Napoli and the rise of Desire Doue.
That gave Barcloa’s suitors hope that there may be hope in tempting him away from the Parcs des Princes, only for transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano to pour cold water on the situation.
The journalist has posted on X (formerly Twitter) that PSG have ‘no plans’ to let Barcola depart and that ‘the management and Luis Enrique all plan with Barcola as part of the squad for next season.’
Barcola – who was ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best left-wingers in the world earlier this month – turned out 59 times for the European champions in all competitions this season, scoring 21 goals and assisting another 19.
And while the 22-year-old’s production did drop off slightly during the second half of the season, L’Equipe add there there is no ‘war of egos’ among the squad’s attacking players, with Barcola happy with his role at the club.
In FourFourTwo’s view, Barcola – who is valued at €70million on Transfermarkt – is an excellent player who has the potential to get even better, so it’s easy to understand why Arsenal would be interested in bringing him to the Emirates if there was a question mark over his future.
But there’s also the argument that Barcola is not what the Gunners attack needs at the moment, as the club’s failure to bring in a no.9 last year cost them, so going after a player like Barcola could be a distraction from that pursuit again.
