Noni Madueke transfer makes Arsenal’s £100m dream next signing even more obvious
The PSG star is reportedly valued at £100 million
Arsenal signing Noni Madueke for a potential £52m meant the Gunners had already spent more than they did all last season, before the confirmation of Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera’s moves to North London moved this transfer window into historic territory, yet a world-class left-winger remains a priority for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s bumper investment may have come at least one summer too late, with Liverpool somehow outshining the Gunners with a historic transfer window that’s far from finished yet and Chelsea given a £84.7m boost from the Club World Cup having already signed eight players including Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.
Meanwhile Manchester City are retooling from their cataclysm of a season that still saw Pep Guardiola guide his side to third in the Premier League, and if Newcastle can keep hold of their star players they should be an even greater threat next campaign having signed Anthony Elanga for a club-record fee, their first major arrival in two years.
So despite a transfer market that should see Arteta address all his major needs, the Gunners can’t afford to rest on their laurels and must look to further bolster their attacking options particularly on the left flank.
So though PSG rebuffed their initial inquiries, Arsenal shouldn’t give up on bringing Bradley Barcola to the Emirates even for the £100m fee the Parisians are said to be demand for their star.
Bradley Barcola exit could suit PSG and Arsenal
If this move seems far-fetched, that’s because it is. In fact back in June, our verdict on Arsenal and Manchester City’s interest in Barcola was: “Seems unlikely at this stage but stranger things have happened. A move to the Premier League for Barcola may seem far away from becoming a reality, but it could be one to keep an eye out for.”
PSG appear PSR-proof and if they didn’t get into strife in their Galactico era, they seem unlikely to now with such a booming academy even if their wage bill actually increased in 2023/24 after the departures of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
However, while PSG don’t need the money and Barcola isn’t exactly struggling financially either, second part of our early June analysis of a potential Barcola move to the Premier League rings even truer after Barcola only played 66 minutes in the final two matches of France’s Nations League Finals campaign: “Barcola enjoyed a fantastic season personally which saw him very unfortunate to lose his place in the PSG side to January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the emerging superstar Désiré Doué.”
After Barcola was rewarded for being arguably PSG’s biggest star as they reached the Champions League semi-finals last season by making his international bow in June, then starting in the Euros and playing 90 minutes against Italy in September, Kvaratskhelia’s £59m arrival has seen the Frenchman fall down the pecking order for both club and country.
Meanwhile another season of Barcola benchwarming in PSG’s biggest games could make the relationship between club and player turn sour after he got a taste of the big time in 2023/24. Last season was Barcola’s busiest yet as he racked up 3,927 minutes, his most ever by a considerable margin.
However, he was left out of Luis Enrique’s starting XIs in the finals of the Champions League, Club World Cup and French super cup, plus the first legs of PSG’s European quarter and semi-finals after he was ineffective against Liverpool and only played 63% of the possible minutes against the Reds.
A star player being left out of the biggest games can create problems off the pitch and if PSG can cash in to the tune of nine figures, preventing that potential disharmony in such a united squad may be appealing to Enrique.
Bradley Barcola addition would cement all-star Arsenal attack
The case for Arsenal wanting Barcola is rather simpler to argue. They require a left-winger to upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, and Madueke’s arrival as a left-footed forward who prefers to play on the right flank doesn’t fill that void.
Rather, Madueke offers versatility, depth and game-breaking ability across the front line and can prevent Arsenal suffering a similar setback as they did last season in Bukayo Saka’s absence.
Barcola made an expected goal or assist every almost every 90 minutes in the last year, putting him in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top leagues per FBRef.com, while his 5.45 progressive carries per game put him amongst the continent’s best with the ball at his feet
As PSG faced the low blocks that so troubled Arsenal last season, Barcola received the most progressive passes of any top players in the same position, while his defensive numbers stack up similarly well.
Aged 22, Barcola was only displaced from Enrique’s starting side at PSG by arguably the best left winger in the world right now but with the World Cup beginning in less than 12 months he needs to be back on the biggest stage at club level and transforming Arsenal into Premier League favourites would more than justify such a huge price tag.