Yan Diomande has chosen to go to Paris Saint-Germain among the number of different options for him this summer, that is interesting news in it’s own right but it also gets me thinking about how that potentially changes their squad make up for next season.
Here is David Ornstein with the big news:
This could be a bit of a double gift to Arsenal. First, Diomande was one of the main targets for Liverpool to replace Mohamed Salah, so it is always a bit nice to see a rival miss out on a major signing. Secondly, this could be one of the dominoes that frees up Bradley Barcola to leave Paris this summer.
Barcola is at the pivotal two years remaining on his contract situation and the reports suggest that he is frustrated that he is behind some of the other highly talented attackers in the PSG squad. PSG seem open to selling him if there is no path for him to extend his current contract, but it would have been based on a replacement coming in for him. That is exactly what Diomande could be here.
The left winger market isn’t the strongest right now, and that makes me quite interested in the potential of Barcola, especially given the production that he has put up at PSG.
Arsenal have been linked with him but so far he has seemed like more of a secondary option to Morgan Rogers. I am a fan of Rogers talent but I am not sure I see him as a potentially elite left wing type player.
The stat comparison of the two players on the winger templates seems almost unfair.
This is more of a quick post than a deep dive and their some reasons that the numbers for Barcola could be inflated here. He plays in Ligue 1, where the quality of the opposition isn’t as deep as it would be in the Premier League, it is still a talented league but it is much more of the 5th toughest of the “Big 5” Leagues. PSG are also a “Super Team” and playing with other extremely talented players can inflate a players numbers, especially when combined with having a big talent edge in every match played.
That being said I am still on board with this player and I think that he would fit Arsenal’s squad needs quite well.
Maybe there would be more to the plan with Rogers and the club don’t view him as a wide player. Maybe Eberechi Eze would shift to a wide left role? Maybe there is another winger that the club is after and Rogers is a central player? I guess we will have to wait and see because from my own perspective, if Barcola is available that seems like a more logical target for Arsenal given that the left wing is basically the major first XI weakness in the squad.
It can be tough buying from a team like PSG, you’re not likely to pry away one of their starters if they want to keep them, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia seems like he would be a pipe dream here. You could potentially get one the players that is just outside the first XI and that fits this situation nicely.
In a way this sort of reminds me of the Alexis Sanchez opportunity that Arsenal were able to take advantage of. Barcelona brought in Luis Suarez and that made the path to playing time tough for Sanchez and Arsenal were able to capitalize beating Liverpool to the signing. He was a cast off but he sure didn’t play like one and was able to thrive at Arsenal in a more primary role than what he was able to have in Spain.
Barcola wouldn’t be cheap and there would be a number of teams (including Liverpool) that would be interested in trying to sign him but given the state of the squad I’d really like to see Arsenal enter the race here for this player if he is available here.
We will watch this as the summer goes on here.