Nacho Monreal has pushed Bradley Barcola back into the Arsenal conversation, with a simple message: the club should upgrade on the left. He said, "Arsenal maybe needs to improve the left winger," and added that, if he were sporting director, he would try for Barcola or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Arsenal spent in excess of £250 million on transfers 12 months ago, then brought in Piero Hincapie a fortnight ago for £34.5 million after an initial loan.
Monreal's case for a left-sided upgrade
The logic behind Monreal's point is not hard to see. Arsenal have already spent heavily, but he still sees the left side as a place to add more quality. He also said Martin Odegaard leaving would be a mistake, but the sharper line was his view that Barcola would make the squad stronger.
There is also a separate Arsenal watch developing around Illan Meslier, whose contract with Leeds United expired last month and who underwent a medical with Arsenal on Tuesday. That is a different story, though it does show Arsenal are not exactly standing still in the market.
Barcola's form and the unresolved destination
Paris Saint Germain's Barcola also has the kind of tournament numbers that keep elite clubs interested. He has 2 goals and 1 assist in 5 World Cup appearances for France this tournament, with a 7.12 rating across the run. He also posted 7.9 ratings against Germany and Sweden, so the output has not come from one isolated game.
Marcel Desailly sees things differently. "So, should he move to the Premier League? Not yet. Not yet at all. Sorry Arsenal and Liverpool fans. He should stay at Paris Saint-Germain, play 25 games a season, and grow within that system," he said. That leaves the picture split between interest, advice and a player whose name is clearly being discussed at the top end of the market.
Barcola's current tournament return keeps him in that frame, and Arsenal's left side still looks like the obvious place where Monreal wants more firepower. The next question is whether that interest turns into anything more concrete before the window moves on.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →