Liverpool transfer news: Arsenal in race for PSG’s Bradley Barcola but one club suffers 'blow' before Premier League season

Liverpool have the upper hand in the race for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola despite Arsenal's interest, the latest report has claimed.

The end of the World Cup will naturally bring attention back to the summer transfer window, especially as the Premier League is set to start again next month.

Reds boss Andoni Iraola has publicly admitted he needs another winger in his squad, with the most frequently linked attacker PSG's Barcola.

However, some supporters were fearful that the Gunners would enter the race for the 23-year-old having missed out on Morgan Rogers, who signed for Chelsea for £117m.

The Daily Mail claim that while Arsenal are competing with Liverpool for Barcola, the Merseysiders are thought to have the upper hand in the race for his signature.

Bradley Barcola to Liverpool: Why Andoni Iraola needs PSG winger

The departure of Mohamed Salah has opened up a sizeable gap in the Reds' squad, and they must find a way of replacing his goals.

Alexander Isak will be seen as the club's primary scorer next term, but the best teams usually have at least two consistent avenues of finding the back of the net, with Sadio Mane the secondary forward behind Salah under Jurgen Klopp.

Now that Yan Diomande is seemingly beyond Liverpool's reach, Barcola is the only top-level winger on the market, with other options far less experienced.

Having only scored 63 Premier League goals last term, the Merseysiders must improve their production in the final third if they are to compete for the title.

Will Rio Ngumoha convince Bradley Barcola to move to Arsenal?

Barcola prefers to operate on the left side of attack, and there is an argument that Arsenal are in a better position from which to offer him gametime in that role given he would be competing with Gabriel Martinelli rather than Rio Ngumoha.

However, Nguomha has spoken about the importance of being able to play on both flanks, and the 17-year-old did play on the right side during games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United in 2025-26.

If Iraola plans to use the teenager on the right side of attack, then Barcola would almost certainly play in his favoured zones for the majority of the campaign.

Any deal with PSG may ultimately come down to whether either club can match the French team's demands, and that could be problematic considering Barcola is likely to cost in excess of £100m.