Arsenal’s Bradley Barcola interest shows how high Arteta wants to raise the attack

ESPN has reported that Arsenal are tracking Barcola and Christos Tzolis while seeking to strengthen their attack, amid uncertainty around Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Sky Sports reports that Arsenal have stepped up interest in Morgan Rogers, are looking into Tzolis, are monitoring Ayyoub Bouaddi, and could listen to offers for Gabriel Jesus, Trossard and Martinelli, while noting there has been no Arsenal-Villa club-to-club contact for Rogers.

Mikel Arteta message is clear already. This is not treating a title-winning attack. He is looking at the left and central options and the rotation behind Bukayo Saka, then asking whether Arsenal can add speed, unpredictability and threat without losing control. Sensible. Also slightly ruthless.

What Barcola would change on the left

The left-side question

Barcola’s appeal as a winger who wants to isolate full-backs, carry the ball at pace and attack the space behind a defensive line makes him perfect for Arsenal. Arsenal have plenty of technical security. What they have sometimes lacked from the left is the kind of first-step menace that makes opponents retreat before the pass has even been played.

Martinelli can provide that when confident and fully in rhythm. Trossard offers craft, finishing and valuable penalty-box intelligence. Jesus can drift from the front line and create overloads. Barcola, however, would represent a different bet: a high-upside wide forward who can stretch the pitch vertically and force the opposing right-back to defend facing his own goal.

For Arteta, Declan Rice’s left-sided runs become harder to track if the winger is pinning the last defender. Martin Odegaard and Saka benefit if the weak side has to stay honest. Kai Havertz, or whichever centre-forward Arsenal use, gets more cut-backs and broken-box moments rather than another crowded possession drill.

However, Barcola would automatically replace anyone. It is that his profile would make the left flank more explosive and less predictable. Arsenal’s need to be looking at adding players who can improvise at Champions League speed.