Arsenal's Attack Reshaping: Barcola and Alvarez Targeted
Leandro Trossard’s exit from Arsenal felt like more than a routine squad shuffle. The Belgian, scorer of crucial goals in last season’s title run, has been moved on to Besiktas, and with that decision Arsenal have quietly opened the door to a significant reshaping of their attack.
The next question is far bigger: what happens to Gabriel Martinelli?
The Brazilian, once a symbol of Arsenal’s new era under Mikel Arteta, no longer looks untouchable. A sale is firmly on the table as the club weigh up how to free cash and space for what they hope will be the next wave of elite reinforcements. This is not tinkering around the edges. Arsenal know that if they are to stay ahead domestically and finally crack Europe in 2026-27, the wide attacking positions have to be as ruthless as the rest of the squad.
And that is where Bradley Barcola’s name refuses to go away.
The PSG winger, who lit up the World Cup alongside Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise, already has history with Arsenal. He was part of the Paris side that snuffed out the Gunners’ Champions League dream in 2025-26, helping secure back-to-back European crowns for the French champions. He has tasted the stage Arsenal are desperate to conquer — and helped deny them a place on it.
Yet he is not a guaranteed starter in Paris. Far from it. With Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all jostling for the same attacking slots, Barcola’s minutes remain under constant threat. At 23, and with a contract that runs only until 2028, his situation is edging towards that dangerous middle ground: too valuable to ignore, not yet indispensable.
PSG may soon have a decision to make. The 2026 summer window is open, serious offers are circling, and Arsenal are being pushed to act like the club they have always claimed to be — one that knows how to pick the right French talent at the right time.
Mikaël Silvestre understands that lineage better than most. The former Arsenal defender, speaking to GOAL in association with talkSPORT Bet Online Slots, did not hesitate when asked if Barcola would fit Arteta’s title-winning squad.
“That would be an obvious choice for both the player and the club to go for,” he said.
For Silvestre, the equation is simple: Barcola’s impact for PSG, his performances for France, his age, and Arsenal’s ambition to retain the Premier League and finally lift the Champions League all point in one direction. “It’s a green light on my side, 100%.”
Arsenal are not alone in that thinking. Barcola’s versatility and end product have put him on several Premier League shortlists. Liverpool are hunting for the heir to Mohamed Salah at Anfield. Manchester United, back in the Champions League, are under pressure to add real punch to a misfiring front line.
At Old Trafford, Dwight Yorke has already nailed his colours to the mast. Speaking to GOAL, the former United striker urged his old club to look straight 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,” Yorke said.
He highlighted their ability to operate on either flank and fill any attacking role required. For him, they are the kind of forwards who solve problems and raise ceilings.
“If Marcus Rashford doesn’t want to stick around, and who knows where his head is at, go and get Doue or Barcola. Those are the two players you should go get. 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.”
That is the competitive landscape Arsenal are dealing with. Wait too long, and Barcola could be lighting up Anfield or Old Trafford instead of the Emirates.
Arteta and the recruitment team, though, have more than one marquee name on the board. Alongside the Frenchman sits another potential headline signing: Julian Alvarez.
Fresh from reaching the 2026 World Cup final with Argentina alongside Lionel Messi, Alvarez has re-established himself as one of the most complete forwards in the game. He missed out on a second world title, but not on influence. For his country, he has become the man just below Messi in terms of impact — a point Silvestre underlined.
“Below Messi for Argentina, he's the player that has been the most impactful,” Silvestre said.
Alvarez’s club situation adds another layer. Now at Atletico Madrid after his spell at Manchester City, he has found himself in a side where attacking players often work harder than the trophies they end up lifting. Silvestre pointed to that reality.
“Playing for Atletico Madrid, it's hard to get things over the line to win trophies,” he noted.
Alvarez, in his view, looks fiercely loyal, and there is no guarantee he is ready to move. But his performances this season have made one thing clear: he would transform any frontline he joins.
The price reflects that. Atletico could sanction a sale at around £120 million, a figure that would test Arsenal’s financial nerve and force tough calls on players like Martinelli. Yet the prospect of pairing Alvarez with Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, already in north London, is the kind of attacking vision that can reshape a title race and a Champions League campaign in one stroke.
Arsenal have already made one bold decision in letting Trossard walk. The next moves — whether they gamble on Barcola, go all-in on Alvarez, or try to land both while cashing in on existing assets — will reveal how serious they are about staying at the summit, not just reaching it.
In a window like this, hesitation is a luxury their rivals will happily exploit.
