Paul Merson: Arsenal Must Secure Bradley Barcola to Compete
Arsenal have spent the summer sharpening the spine of their title-winning squad. Piero Hincapie, Illan Meslier and Christos Tzolis are through the door, the champions moving with the confidence of a club that knows its window to dominate is open right now.
But in Paul Merson’s eyes, all of that business sits in the shadow of one urgent problem: the left wing.
Leandro Trossard has gone to Besiktas. Gabriel Martinelli, for all his energy and promise, has not kicked on to the ruthless, match-deciding level Mikel Arteta demands every three days. For a team that wants to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City and Real Madrid, that flank suddenly looks thin.
And that is where Merson draws a hard line. If Arsenal miss out on Vinicius Junior, he believes they simply cannot afford to let Bradley Barcola slip to Liverpool.
“He’s playing Arsenal”
The Vinicius story has lit up the back pages. Arsenal, we’re told, are plotting an audacious move for the Real Madrid star, a player who usually only leaves in fantasy football drafts or video games.
Merson isn’t buying the romance.
“Vinicius Junior is just looking for a new contract at Real Madrid. He’s playing Arsenal,” he told Sky Sports, cutting straight through the noise.
To Merson, the Brazilian’s name being attached to Arsenal is less about a genuine Premier League switch and more about leverage in Madrid. But even as he pours cold water on the likelihood of the transfer, he sees something significant in the mere fact that the Gunners are in that conversation.
“This is where Arsenal are now. This is the market they’re in,” he said. “Arsenal are looking to buy someone from Real Madrid, one of the top players. It just shows you where Arsenal are in the market. It’s a big worry for all the other teams in the league, in my opinion.”
The message is clear: the perception of Arsenal has changed. They are no longer the plucky chasers. They are shopping at the very top shelf.
But status alone doesn’t win titles. Squad depth does. And that’s where the left wing becomes a fault line.
Barcola or bust?
For Merson, the logic is brutal. If Vinicius doesn’t happen – and he clearly doubts it will – Arsenal must pivot quickly and decisively.
“If Arsenal don’t get Vinicius, then they have to get Bradley Barcola,” he insisted. “They have to get a left winger in, especially now Leandro Trossard has left. They left themselves very short in that position. And if Arsenal don’t get Vinicius or Barcola, then it’s a major worry.”
Barcola, the PSG winger admired by Liverpool, suddenly becomes more than just a smart addition. In Merson’s view, he becomes a necessity. Not a luxury signing. A structural one.
The stakes are obvious. Liverpool are also hunting a top-level wide player. Lose that race, stand still on the flank, and Arsenal risk starting a title defence with a glaring weak spot in an area that has defined their attacking identity under Arteta.
In a league decided by details, that is the kind of oversight that can turn a 90-point season into something far less imposing.
“Not good business” – the Trossard decision
All of this, in Merson’s mind, is rooted in one decision: letting Trossard go.
“For them to let Trossard go is not good business in my opinion – not for what you’re selling,” he said. “He went for literally nothing. I can’t believe that half the Premier League weren’t after Trossard.”
This isn’t just nostalgia for a tidy player. Trossard delivered. He scored in big moments, slotted into big games, and understood the rhythm of Arsenal’s intricate attacking play.
“He played in all the big games for Arsenal last season and he’s a brilliant footballer,” Merson added. Then came the line that really underlined his frustration: “There are a lot of good players but not a lot of good footballers out there. He came under that second category.”
In other words, Trossard wasn’t just depth. He was quality depth. The kind that lets you rotate without dropping your level. The kind title-winning squads are built on.
Now he is gone, and Arsenal are exposed on that side. One injury, one suspension, one loss of form from Martinelli, and Arteta’s options thin out fast.
So the picture is stark. Arsenal, champions and now operating at the very top of the market, are chasing a superstar in Vinicius Junior who may be using their interest as contract leverage. Behind that headline, Liverpool circle Barcola. And behind that, a squad that has willingly removed a proven Premier League attacker from a key position.
Merson’s verdict cuts through the spin: miss out on both Vinicius and Barcola, and Arsenal’s summer suddenly looks incomplete. The question now is simple – in a title race this unforgiving, can they really afford to gamble on that left flank?
