Arsenal's Chase for £100m Bradley Barcola: Liverpool Rivalry Intensifies
Arsenal have already thrown one heavyweight punch in this transfer window. There is a sense in north London they are getting ready to swing again.
Bruno Guimaraes, paraded at Emirates Stadium on Sunday after his £75m move from Newcastle, is the latest statement of intent from the Premier League champions. He follows Greek winger Christos Tzolis and French goalkeeper Illan Meslier through the door, a trio that underlines both depth and ambition in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
But nobody at Arsenal is pretending the job is done. Not with the club now shopping in the rarefied aisle of Vinicius Junior and Bradley Barcola.
Vinicius slipped away, signing a new six‑year deal at Real Madrid and closing off what would have been a truly era-defining transfer. Arsenal, as one club legend put it, are determined not to be “played like a little kitten with a ball of wool” again.
And that is where Barcola comes in.
Liverpool’s Salah heir – or Arsenal’s next weapon?
Liverpool have moved early and aggressively for the PSG winger. The 23-year-old has been identified as their preferred heir to Mohamed Salah, and the numbers being discussed reflect that status.
Liverpool are understood to be prepared to go to around £100m (€117m / $135m). PSG, never shy when it comes to hard bargaining, are holding out for closer to £128m (€150m / $172m).
Barcola, already a two-time Champions League winner with the French giants, has stalled on a new contract and is expected to leave Paris. On paper, Liverpool are in pole position. They have the vacancy on the right, the money, and the clear need.
Yet the transfer market rarely runs in straight lines.
Former Arsenal forward Perry Groves believes there is a twist coming – and it favours the champions.
‘I’ve got a mole’ – London pull could tilt the race
Speaking on talkSPORT, Groves was asked whether Barcola would be a better fit at Arsenal or Liverpool. He did not hesitate.
“I would say the Gooners because Liverpool are a team that are in transition,” he said, pointing to Andoni Iraola’s arrival at Anfield and the reshaping of the squad under a new philosophy.
From a player’s perspective, Groves argued, the calculation is simple.
“If you were Barcola and you thought, what out of those two sides have got the most chance of winning the Premier League or Champions League, at the moment you’d say it was Arsenal.”
The key line, though, came next. Groves suggested that if Arsenal decide to move, groundwork will already have been done with the player’s camp, given the level the club now operates at.
Then he dropped the detail that will have pricked up ears in north London and on Merseyside alike.
“I’ve got a source that says he wants to live in London,” Groves revealed. “I can’t tell you, I can’t divulge my sources. I’ve got a source. I’ve got a mole. Barcola wants to live in London.”
No guarantees. No done deal. But in a tug-of-war between two English giants, location can be a decisive lever. Arsenal know that as well as anyone.
Champions’ mentality: ‘They shouldn’t just win it once’
Groves is not alone in pushing the club towards Barcola. Another former Gunner, Emmanuel Frimpong, has been quick to praise the Guimaraes signing while insisting it must be only the start.
“Mikel and the boys have finally got it over the line, which I’m very happy about,” he told Ladbrokes. “But they shouldn’t just win it once and be satisfied with that.”
The message is clear: this is the moment to build a dynasty.
“They have to keep on winning it now and dominate just like how Man United and Man City have in the past,” Frimpong said. “We’ve got the players, we’ve got a deep squad and hopefully this summer, the board are going to strengthen further, because I still think we need a couple of wingers and a proper number eight.”
He highlighted a tactical concern that has nagged at some observers. Declan Rice, outstanding since his arrival, has often been used in a role that does not entirely suit his natural game.
“I feel like Declan Rice is playing in a position which isn’t natural to him, so we need a proper number eight alongside him,” Frimpong added.
Barcola the missing piece?
“For me, when it comes to realistic signings this summer, with those positions in mind, I feel like Bruno Guimaraes is someone I’d love to see at Arsenal,” Frimpong said, before quickly adding: “And also Bradley Barcola… I think he would be very good for Arsenal. Barcola and Bruno Guimaraes would be a very good transfer window for Arsenal.”
The Brazilian is already in the building. The Frenchman, for now, is still in play.
Arsenal want more creativity and cutting edge in their frontline. They have been linked with Marcus Rashford at Manchester United and Juventus talent Kenan Yildiz, names that show the scale of their thinking. Barcola sits firmly in that bracket: young, decorated, and with the kind of one‑v‑one ability that can tilt tight title races.
Liverpool remain the favourites on paper. They have identified him as Salah’s long-term replacement and are ready to pay elite money. But if Groves’ “mole” is right and Barcola’s heart is set on London, the champions suddenly have a card to play that no bid can quite match.
Now it comes down to one question inside the Emirates boardroom: do Arsenal step into a £100m fight with Liverpool for a winger who might just prefer their postcode?
