Paris St Germain's Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. (REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier)
For Arsenal, it was yet another campaign that ended in disappointment. Mikel Arteta’s side finished second in the Premier League for the third consecutive season — this time falling short to Liverpool.
Despite boasting one of the league’s most disciplined and reliable defenses, Arsenal’s lack of attacking output proved to be their undoing. The Gunners scored just 69 goals across 38 matches — 17 fewer than champions Liverpool — raising serious concerns about their attacking efficiency.
Frustration among fans continues to grow, with many pointing to the underperformance of key forwards. Kai Havertz has yet to convince as a central striker, while Gabriel Martinelli’s influence from the left flank has noticeably declined. As a result, calls for reinforcements in the final third have intensified.
Bukayo Saka remains the one consistent and reliable threat, firmly entrenched as a starter. But even his brilliance hasn’t been enough to carry Arsenal over the line.
Arsenal Turn to the Market — Barcola on the Radar
With the summer window heating up, Arsenal are reportedly eyeing significant attacking reinforcements. Linked to high-profile forwards like Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, the Gunners are also exploring options on the wings — one of which includes a rising French star.
According to TBR Football, Arsenal have made an official enquiry for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola. The 22-year-old winger enjoyed a breakout season in Paris and is seen as one of France’s most exciting attacking prospects.
However, Arsenal aren’t alone in their interest — Liverpool have also reportedly made contact. PSG, for their part, are reluctant to let Barcola go, having only signed him from Ligue 1 rivals Lyon in 2023. The club views him as a key part of both their present and future.
Barcola’s numbers from the 2024/25 season speak for themselves: a staggering 41 goal contributions — 21 goals and 20 assists — as he played a pivotal role in PSG’s historic quadruple. The French giants secured the Ligue 1 title, the Trophée des Champions, the Coupe de France, and their first-ever UEFA Champions League crown.
PSG manager Luis Enrique has been full of praise for Barcola ever since his early days at the club. After the youngster netted his first goal in 2023, Enrique called him “superb” and said: “It is a clear bet from the club when we go out and find such a young player, a youth international, with a big personality and the quality to burst out. He has quite a few minutes for being in a team like ours. He incarnates the present and the future.”
At the start of the 2024/25 season, Enrique again backed his young star — while firing back at critics in the French media who questioned Barcola’s ability to step up following Kylian Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid: “Do you wanna talk about Bradley Barcola? He’s playing every single game in the best way possible. Today he’s been like God, yesterday he was like the Devil.”
While PSG are unlikely to part ways with Barcola easily, Arsenal’s reported interest signals their intent to finally fix their attacking shortcomings.
Whether or not they can lure the French talent to North London remains to be seen — but one thing is clear: if Arsenal are to end their title drought, they need more than just solid defending. They need firepower. And fast.
About the Author
