Updated: 18 May 2026 15:33 BST |
4 min read
Arsenal and Liverpool have a genuine interest in PSG star Bradley Barcola, but the Reds are at risk of making a decision that will see the France international end up in North London.
The 23-year-old is facing an uncertain future in the French capital. Barcola’s importance to PSG has waned since the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January 2025, and he could be on his way out of the club this summer.
The Frenchman has refused to sign a contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions, and reports from France now suggest that PSG are more open to parting with the winger than they were last year.
Liverpool were already interested in Barcola in 2025, but PSG flat-out refused to entertain a sale despite the player’s growing frustration with his role. Now, Arsenal have also joined the race to sign him.
The Gunners are known to be in the market for a marquee left-winger and have also been associated with the aforementioned Kvaratskhelia. However, the Georgian is considered untouchable by PSG.
Liverpool are pushing Barcola to Arsenal
L’Equipe has provided an update on Barcola’s situation, confirming that his future at the Parc des Princes is far from certain. The report insists that PSG are planning to restart contract talks with the attacker again after the Champions League final, but there is no guarantee of a positive outcome for the club.
Barcola knows that the upcoming summer is “pivotal” for his career. PSG are in the market for another attacking signing, which would threaten to reduce his playing time even more.
The French outlet corroborates that Liverpool’s interest in Barcola is “genuine” but makes an interesting point: it is claimed that the Anfield club are reticent to sign a left-winger because of Rio Ngumoha. This was already the thought process when Luis Diaz was not adequately replaced last year.
Liverpool director Richard Hughes did not want to stunt the teenager’s development, so the Reds went into this season with just Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo as genuine options on the left wing. The outcome of this experiment is well documented.
Ngumoha has struggled for minutes, while Gakpo has struggled for consistency. The lack of a world-class left-winger has contributed to Liverpool’s disastrous season.
While Ngumoha will be a year more experienced next term, the 17-year-old is still far from the finished product, and his body is not yet developed enough for a full season of gruelling Premier League football.
By once again deciding against signing a left-winger, Liverpool are threatening to repeat a mistake that has cost them big time this season. It would be the latest in a growing list of blunders from the club’s hierarchy.
Of course, Liverpool’s priority should be to replace Mohamed Salah on the right, but the club ought to have the resources to be able to sign two wide players this summer.
The fact that they are reluctant to make a move for Barcola, whose best role is on the left, is good news for Arsenal, who increasingly look a more credible destination for the 23-year-old than Merseyside.
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