Updated: 23 May 2026 13:07 BST |
4 min read
Fabrizio Romano has declared that Arsenal and Liverpool have a ‘genuine interest’ in signing PSG winger Bradley Barcola.
Arsenal have been linked with Barcola for several months, with rumours emerging last December that Mikel Arteta’s side were plotting a spectacular €100 million move for the France international winger.
With the player in contract negotiations with PSG that have so far proven fruitless, he continues to be linked with a string of major Premier League sides, including Manchester United but most notably Liverpool.
Fabrizio Romano: Bradley Barcola transfer latest
Romano has confirmed the Premier League giants are both jostling to sign the PSG winger.
“Liverpool considered Barcola an ideal player,” Romano told his YouTube channel, adding: “There is also genuine interest from Arsenal.”
But Romano said that the key domino in the saga is RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who is also being tracked by both Liverpool and PSG.
Should the Parisian side complete a move for the Ivory Coast star, that could potentially free up Barcola to make a move to the Premier League.
Otherwise, a deal can almost be discounted. PSG have notoriously been reticent to sell players they wish to retain. Even in the face of missing out on a huge transfer fee from Kylian Mbappe, they were stubborn to the last about not selling the superstar to Real Madrid.
With an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €70.6m, the former Lyon attacker will not represent a cheap option, yet with Arsenal and Liverpool both seeking to reconstruct the left side of their attack in the summer, he promises to be an interesting addition.
Bardley Barcola: Liverpool or Arsenal?
When it comes to picking his next club, Barcola has been emphatically advised that Liverpool is a better move for him than Arsenal by data analytics firm SciSports, which provides a Club Fit score based on a wide variety of metrics, including game time, potential development, playing style and formation.
Liverpool are given a very strong score of 87, ranking particularly well in terms of playing style and formation, which suggests he will be able to make an instant impact on Arne Slot’s squad.
By contrast, Arsenal only get a Club Fit of 68. Mikel Arteta’s style is unsuitable for him, while he only gets one star in terms of playing time. This should, however, be caveated by the fact that if Barcola were to sign, at least one of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli would leave, providing him with more opportunities.
What the experts are saying
Barcola’s potential departure from PSG has got leading pundits from both England and France talking. Here’s what the experts have said about the deal in the past few weeks:
David Ornstein (The Athletic, 16 April): “It’s clear Arsenal want an attacker – and Anthony Gordon and Bradley Barcola have been among the players they (and most other teams at this level) have liked for a while.”
French transfer expert Sebastien Denis (via Planete PSG, 22 May): “PSG are not necessarily looking to sell. They want to keep him. But there is a salary increase to be agreed.”
Daniel Riolo (RMC, 22 May): “If I were Bradley Barcola’s agent at the end of the season, I would tell him: ‘Listen, we have won two Champions Leagues, there is an offer in the Premier League, let’s go for it!’”
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