Arsenal's Summer Transfer Strategy: Barcola and Alvarez on the Radar

Leandro Trossard’s departure to Besiktas has done more than clear a locker in north London. It has underlined a reality at Arsenal: even title-winning squads do not stand still. Mikel Arteta is stripping back and sharpening again, and the next phase of that evolution could cut into some familiar names.

Gabriel Martinelli is at the heart of that conversation. Once the embodiment of Arsenal’s new energy, the Brazil international now finds his place under scrutiny as the club weighs up how to fund its next wave of attacking upgrades. A sale is on the table. Not inevitable, but real enough for serious discussion, as Arsenal look to open space and salary for a new kind of forward line.

The target profile is clear: pace, versatility, and end product at Champions League level. Which is why Bradley Barcola’s name will not go away.

Barcola on the radar

Barcola has already hurt Arsenal once. The French winger played his part in Paris Saint-Germain’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs, a run that saw the Gunners’ own European dreams crushed in 2025-26. On the biggest stage, in a PSG side packed with stars, he still found a way to leave a mark.

He did the same in blue. Barcola impressed for France at the World Cup finals, operating alongside Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise and looking entirely at home in elite company. At 23, with that tournament and those European nights behind him, he fits almost perfectly into the bracket Arsenal now shop in: young, proven, and still with a ceiling to hit.

Yet he is not a guaranteed starter in Paris. Competition is brutal. Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia crowd the wide areas, turning every team sheet into a fight. Barcola’s contract runs only to the summer of 2028, long enough for PSG to demand a fee, short enough for suitors to sense opportunity.

With the 2026 summer window open, “tempting offers” is no longer just a phrase. It is a strategy. PSG will listen, and clubs with ambition know it.

Arsenal’s French connection

Arsenal have rarely turned away from French talent. From Arsène Wenger’s great sides to more recent imports, the club’s history is studded with stars from across the Channel. That lineage is not lost on former defender Mikaël Silvestre, who sees Barcola as a natural fit in Arteta’s plans.

Speaking to GOAL, in association with talkSPORT Bet Online Slots, Silvestre did not bother to sit on the fence. Asked if Barcola would be a smart addition to the reigning champions, he called it “an obvious choice for both the player and the club to go for.”

He pointed to Barcola’s body of work with PSG, his rise with the national team and the timing of his career. Still young, already hardened by high-pressure games, and stepping into a project that is openly chasing the next step: retaining the Premier League title and finally lifting the Champions League.

Silvestre’s verdict was emphatic: “It’s a green light on my side, 100%.”

Premier League tug-of-war

Arsenal, though, are not alone. Any club searching for a modern wide forward with flexibility and output has circled the same names. Barcola sits near the top of that list.

Liverpool, preparing for life after Mohamed Salah, are in the market for a new reference point in their attack. Manchester United, back in the Champions League and short of reliable firepower, are also scanning the same shelf.

Former United striker Dwight Yorke has already nailed his colours to the mast. Speaking to GOAL, he urged Old Trafford to look directly at Paris.

“Bradley Barcola or Desire Doue. I’d go for one of them if I was Michael Carrick. It’s as simple as that,” he said. The attraction is obvious: both can operate on either flank, both can adapt to what the attack needs on any given day.

Yorke went further, tying their profiles to United’s own uncertainties. “If Marcus Rashford doesn’t want to stick around, and who knows where his head is at, go and get Doue or Barcola,” he insisted. “You want good attacking players, solid players who are going to produce the goods on the field, so go and get one of those players.”

For Arsenal, that kind of public lobbying is a warning. Wait too long, and someone else will move first.

Alvarez: the marquee option

Barcola is not the only name on the Emirates whiteboard. Arsenal are also weighing up a far more expensive swing: Julian Alvarez.

The Argentina forward, now at Atletico Madrid, stood alongside Lionel Messi in the 2026 World Cup final, chasing a second global crown that ultimately slipped away. Even in defeat, his influence for the national team has drawn admiration.

Silvestre’s assessment of Alvarez is striking. “Below Messi for Argentina, he’s the player that has been the most impactful,” he said, underlining just how highly the 26-year-old is regarded.

At club level, Alvarez has battled the tactical grind of Atletico, where forwards often work harder than the scoreboard shows. Trophies have been hard to secure, but his performances this season have still pushed his value into the stratosphere.

A move would not come cheap. A deal could reach £120 million, a figure that instantly places him in the bracket of era-defining signings. Arsenal, already boasting Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, would be reshaping the entire feel of their frontline if they pulled it off.

Silvestre sees the fit. He also sees the complication. “Playing for Atletico Madrid, it’s hard to get things over the line to win trophies. It looks like it’s a player that is, I would say, very loyal. I don’t know if he’s ready to move. But what performances he’s shown this season, he would be a great signing.”

Loyalty on one side, ambition on the other. A classic transfer standoff.

A ruthless summer ahead

So Arsenal stand at a crossroads. Trossard has gone. Martinelli could follow if the right bid lands and the right replacement is within reach. Barcola offers a dynamic wide option with Champions League scars and medals. Alvarez would be a statement, a centrepiece to build around with Gyökeres.

Arteta and the club’s hierarchy know the stakes. Keep faith with the current core and risk stagnation, or cash in on popular figures to chase a higher ceiling. The title has been won. The Champions League remains untouched.

This summer will reveal how far Arsenal are prepared to go to change that.