Arsenal have been backed to hijack Liverpool’s move for PSG winger Bradley Barcola after completing a £75m deal for Bruno Guimaraes.
Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes was unveiled to Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday following his move from Newcastle United.
Guimaraes became Mikel Arteta’s third signing of the summer following Greek winger Christos Tzolis and French goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Arsenal were also hoping to welcome Vinicius Junior to north London in one of the biggest transfers in Premier League history but the Brazil icon ended up signing a new contract with Real Madrid.
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Arteta remains interested in signing another winger, however, and have been linked with Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford since missing out on Vinicius.
PSG and France forward Barcola is another possible transfer option and former Arsenal striker Perry Groves has given the Gunners real hope of beating Liverpool to a stunning deal.
Liverpool have identified Barcola, 23, as their top target this summer and are reportedly ready to pay £100m for the Frenchman, although PSG are holding out for an offer closer to £150m.
Barcola, who has won two Champions League titles at PSG, is expected to leave the Ligue 1 champions after stalling over signing a new contract.
Liverpool were thought to be leading the race to secure Barcola’s signature but Groves says he has been told that the winger would rather move to London.
Asked whether Barcola would be better suited to Arsenal or Liverpool, Groves told talkSPORT: ‘I’ve got no dog in the fight, but I would say the Gooners because Liverpool are a team that are in transition.
‘Andoni Iraola going in there, imposing his own philosophy, his own style with all the new signings coming in.
‘If you were Barcola and you thought, what out of those two sides have got the most chance of winning the Premier League or Champions League, at the moment you’d say it was Arsenal.
‘So it’s whether Arsenal want to go in, if they go in for him, then there would have been advances being made to his people.
‘Because they don’t want to be seen losing out on Vinicius Junior being played like a little kitten with a ball of wool, but Arsenal have to be in for those sorts of players. That’s the level Arsenal are at now.’
Groves, who won two league titles at Arsenal, added: ‘I’ve got a source that says he [Barcola] wants to live in London.
‘I can’t tell you (who), I can’t divulge my sources. I’ve got a source. I’ve got a mole. Barcola wants to live in London.’
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong wants Arteta to turn his attentions to Barcola after wrapping up a deal for Guimaraes.
‘Mikel [Arteta] and the boys have finally got it over the line, which I’m very happy about,’ he told Ladbrokes. ‘But they shouldn’t just win it once and be satisfied with that.
‘They have to keep on winning it now and dominate just like how Man United and Man City have in the past.
‘We’ve got the players, we’ve got a deep squad and hopefully this summer, the board are going to strengthen further, because I still think we need a couple of wingers and a proper number eight.
‘I feel like Declan Rice is playing in a position which isn’t natural to him, so we need a proper number eight alongside him.
‘For me, when it comes to realistic signings this summer, with those positions in mind, I feel like Bruno Guimaraes is someone I’d love to see at Arsenal.
‘And also Bradley Barcola… I think he would be very good for Arsenal. Barcola and Bruno Guimaraes would be a very good transfer window for Arsenal.’
Arteta is interested in signing a new winger after selling Leandro Trossard to Besiktas earlier in the summer, while Arsenal have received an approach for Gabriel Martinelli.
Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League last season, 25 points behind an Arsenal team that clinched their first title since 2004.
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