Emmanuel Petit Predicts Liverpool to Sign Bradley Barcola
Emmanuel Petit expects Liverpool to win the race for Bradley Barcola – but he does not expect them to win much else.
The former Arsenal midfielder believes the PSG winger is tailor‑made for Anfield and Andoni Iraola, even as he tips Liverpool to miss out on the Premier League’s top four this season.
Barcola tug of war
Liverpool and Arsenal are both in the market for a wide forward before the window shuts on September 1, and Barcola sits near the top of each club’s list. The 23-year-old France international is edging towards the exit at PSG after talks over a new deal stalled, with any move likely to smash the £100million mark and push towards £130m (€151m).
Liverpool have been leading the chase for months. Barcola is understood to favour a move to Merseyside, and personal terms are already in place. The sticking point is familiar: Fenway Sports Group do not want to meet PSG’s full valuation.
Arsenal have arrived to the party later. Their interest has sharpened after the sale of Leandro Trossard and with Gabriel Martinelli also expected to depart, leaving Mikel Arteta light on the left side.
Petit, though, sees a clearer path and a clearer need at Liverpool.
“Arsenal have just signed Christos Tzolis, who has made a big impression so far, he was brilliant in the Community Shield,” he told Grosvenor Sport.
With Tzolis already staking a claim and the left flank being rebuilt, Petit warned that adding Barcola into the mix would create a traffic jam.
“With Martinelli leaving and Trossard no longer at the club, they likely need another option on the left side. If they were to bring in Barcola, it would be difficult for both players to secure a spot in the starting eleven.”
The admiration for Barcola is obvious. “I am a huge fan of Barcola. I believe Liverpool need him much more than Arsenal,” Petit said. In his eyes, Iraola’s squad has a glaring gap that Arsenal have already moved to plug.
“They definitely need to strengthen their wide areas, particularly on the left flank, they have had problems there since the start of last season.”
For Petit, the equation is simple: Arsenal have already made their big wide signing; Liverpool still haven’t. That, he argues, should tilt Barcola’s decision towards Anfield.
Doubts over Liverpool’s top-four credentials
Even if Liverpool get their man, Petit is not convinced it will be enough to drag them back into the Champions League places.
The Spaniard in the dugout has changed, with Iraola leaving Bournemouth to replace Arne Slot at the end of last season, but Petit sees the same structural issues in the squad.
“I am still waiting to see Liverpool’s full intent in the transfer market, as they currently appear to be missing key players,” he said.
The concern is not just about depth out wide; it is about the spine, the balance, the ability to sustain a 38-game fight with the league’s heaviest hitters.
Iraola’s leap from Bournemouth to Liverpool also raises a flag for the 1998 World Cup winner. “They have a new manager in Iraola, and adjusting to the scale of Liverpool after Bournemouth is a big transition. Liverpool need results immediately.”
That urgency, in Petit's view, clashes with a squad that still looks incomplete and a manager still adapting to the demands of a club that expects to compete for titles, not just European spots.
So when he sketches out his top four, Liverpool are nowhere to be seen.
“Ultimately, I see the top four being Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Liverpool may find it tough again this year.”
If Petit is right, Barcola could arrive as the headline act of Liverpool’s summer, the marquee signing on the left flank they have been crying out for. The question is whether that will be enough to change the story of their season – or simply the cast.
