Their best signing since Rice: Arsenal in the running to land £87m star

There are several reasons for a team’s evolution. Take Arsenal for example. Not only did they keep their faith in Mikel Arteta but their recruitment strategy has largely been full of hits.

Sure, there have been plenty of misses, but from the arrivals of Gabriel Magalhaes and fellow Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli during the Unai Emery era to the huge 2023/24 summer window that saw Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya arrive, the Gunners have consistently got it right.

Nicolas Pepe aside, when Arsenal have spent big, it’s largely always paid off. Rice may have cost £105m and Havertz £65m but a Premier League title is priceless. The way in which they have evolved since that man Pepe departed is rather inspiring.

So, what does the next window have in store? A year on from Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Co, the Kroenkes could spend big again as Arteta goes in search of a successive league crown.

Arsenal targeting major additions

Speaking in the aftermath of the trophy presentation on Sunday evening, Josh Kroenke spoke to NBC Sports and revealed that their planning for the summer is already underway.

“We’ve already had a few conversations about different areas that we think we can improve – both on and off the pitch,” he said. “We are looking forward to getting that going this summer.”

Well, how on earth do you improve a title-winning side? Well, the scary thing is that there are holes in this Arsenal team, primarily on the left of the attack.

A remarkable move for PSG superstar Khvicha Kvaratskehlia has been touted in recent months but given the last year the Paris club have enjoyed, getting him out of the French capital would be like trying to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. You’re not going to get very far.

As a result, attention has been turned to one of Kvaratskhelia’s club colleagues. That happens to be fellow winger Bradley Barcola.

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who speaking on his YouTube channel in the early stages of this week said: “If Yan Diomande goes to PSG then Bradley Barcola could really leave this summer, it’s a possibility. Liverpool wanted Barcola in August 2025 but Liverpool are still there. For Barcola, there is also Arsenal. Arsenal like the player and I expect movement around those two players.”

Previous reports have suggested that he could cost as much as £87m this summer, making him a potential marquee addition for the Kroenkes and Andrea Berta.

Why Barcola could be Arsenal’s best signing since Rice

When Arsenal signed Rice in 2023 for a mega £105m fee from West Ham, it felt like the final piece of the puzzle. Sure, the Gunners have needed a goalscoring forward as well, but this felt significant.

They had beaten title rivals Manchester City to his signature and in the process, landed one of the best up and coming midfielders in the game.

Well, over the last three years, Rice has firmly become one of the best midfielders in the world, possibly even one of the best players on the planet full stop.

It’s been a transformative signing for the club. He’s remarkable defensively and in the last couple of years, he has added goals and assists to his game. The England man netted nine times in 2024/25, also assisting ten. This season he’s picked up five goals and nine assists with just the Champions League final remaining to add to that tally.

Rice has been near ever-present for Arteta in the last three years and knitted everything together but Barcola is cut from a very different cloth. That said, much like Rice, he could be a player that totally transforms Arsenal’s starting XI. He is a real ceiling raiser.

Why? Well, the Gunners need a left winger and they need an elite one. It was the only real glaring hole in the squad this season with Arteta lacking a consistent option in that area of the pitch.

Leandro Trossard has come good in the last few weeks, scoring that decisive goal against West Ham, but that was actually his first strike in 25 straight matches. He was enduring a wretched 2026 period. Now, however, he is surely a certainty to start the final in Budapest later this week.

As for his positional rival, Gabriel Martinelli has not enjoyed a great season either. The Brazilian ended the league campaign with just a solitary goal to his name. It was an important one, though, finding the net against Manchester City.

So, Barcola could be an enormous upgrade for Arsenal on the left hand side of their attack. In light of Kylian Mbappe’s departure from Paris a few years ago, journalist Robin Bairner described Barcola as the “next [Kylian] Mbappe” and while his output might not be quite as high as his international teammate, the PSG superstar has lived up to that billing in parts.

As the Ligue 1 club achieved continental glory last term, Barcola ended 2024/25 with 21 goals and 21 assists. 2025/26 has been a little less kind to the 23-year-old but he has still scored 13 times and supplied six assists. For context, only Viktor Gyokeres (21) has scored more than that for Arteta’s side.

On that evidence, he could well be the final piece of the jigsaw as Arsenal aim to create a trophy-winning dynasty over the forthcoming years. If he is able to transform the make up of the attack like Rice did in midfield, it would be the most game-changing addition since the England international walked away from West Ham.