Arsenal Favored Over Liverpool to Secure £100m Bradley Barcola After Bruno Guimaraes Signing

Arsenal appear poised to outbid Liverpool for the signature of PSG winger Bradley Barcola, following their recent acquisition of midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

Strengthening the Squad

After officially completing a £75 million deal for Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal have now made three signings this summer, including winger Christos Tzolis and goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The club’s ambition remains clear as they target Barcola to add firepower up front, especially after missing out on Vinicius Junior, who renewed his contract with Real Madrid, and selling Leandro Trossard to Besiktas.

Competition from Liverpool

Liverpool have identified Barcola as a primary target this summer and reportedly lodged a £100 million bid. However, PSG are holding out for a fee closer to £150 million for the two-time Champions League winner.

Inside Views Favor Arsenal

"I’ve got no dog in the fight, but I would say the Gooners because Liverpool are a team that are in transition," said former Arsenal forward Perry Groves in a talkSPORT interview. "Andoni Iraola is bringing his philosophy, with new signings coming in. If you were Barcola, looking at which side has the best chance for Premier League or Champions League success right now, you'd lean towards Arsenal."Groves also revealed, "I’ve got a source that says he [Barcola] wants to live in London. I can’t tell you who, but Barcola wants to live in London. He would be very good for Arsenal."

Support from Former Players

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong voiced his support for strengthening the squad further. Speaking to Ladbrokes, he emphasized the need to maintain the club’s Premier League dominance. "Mikel and the boys finally got it done, which I’m happy about. But they shouldn’t be satisfied with just one title; they need to keep winning, like Man United and Man City have done before."

He added, "We have a deep squad, but I feel we still need a couple of wingers and a true number eight. Declan Rice is playing out of position, so a proper number eight alongside him would help. For realistic signings, I’d love to see Bruno Guimaraes and Bradley Barcola at Arsenal. That would make for a strong transfer window."

Transfer Window Tensions

As the Premier League season approaches, Arsenal face pressure to finalize their squad quickly. Barcola’s choice will heavily influence the competition between Arsenal and Liverpool, with his decision on leaving PSG being pivotal.

• Bruno Guimaraes: Signed from Newcastle for £75 million
• Christos Tzolis: Summer signing
• Illan Meslier: Summer signing
• Leandro Trossard: Sold to Besiktas
• Bradley Barcola: Targeted by both Arsenal and Liverpool; Liverpool bid £100 million, PSG asking around £150 million