Arsenal made a dramatic late attempt to hijack Liverpool’s move for Bradley Barcola, but the French winger was already committed to joining the Reds.
Reports emerged overnight that a fee had finally been agreed between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, ending months of speculation surrounding the France international.
The deal was first reported by the Indy Kaila account, described as a team of five journalists, before more established names including Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein confirmed the transfer.
Indy Kaila subsequently revealed that Arsenal had entered the race late, stating that the Gunners were even prepared to match Liverpool’s offer for the winger.
However, according to those same sources, it was ultimately too late, with Barcola already “locked in” on a move to Anfield after months of groundwork by Liverpool.
Indy Kaila posted on social media: “Arsenal did make a late move for Bradley Barcola. It was too late. LFC had already done months of groundwork. The player was locked in. Arsenal were even ready to match Liverpool’s offer.”
The news raises questions about whether Barcola has made the right call in choosing Liverpool over the reigning Premier League champions.
Arsenal head into the new season as Premier League champions and are widely considered favourites to retain their title, arguably making the Gunners the stronger proposition.
Liverpool, by contrast, finished fifth last season and have lost key figures including Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate, leaving questions over the strength and stability of the squad Barcola is walking into.
New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola is considered an exciting appointment, but it remains unclear how settled the squad will be as he begins his tenure at Anfield.
At Arsenal, Barcola could have provided an obvious upgrade on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, slotting into a system that Mikel Arteta has refined over seven years at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta has consistently drawn the best from those around him, and Barcola would have had a clear and defined role within one of Europe’s most coherent tactical setups.
For now, though, Barcola is Liverpool bound, and Arsenal will need to look elsewhere to strengthen their attacking options before the transfer window closes.
