Former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend has cast doubt on Arsenal's reported pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, insisting that Gabriel Martinelli remains a superior option despite the Brazilian's uncertain future at the Emirates. Speaking on talkSPORT, Townsend questioned the logic of spending a colossal £145 million on the 23-year-old France international, especially after Arsenal already lost Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for just £17 million last month.
Arsenal's summer business and the search for a left winger
The Premier League champions have been active in the transfer market, officially confirming the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes at the weekend, alongside moves for Christos Tzolis and free agent Illan Meslier. However, the departure of Trossard has left a void on the left flank, prompting Arteta to explore high-profile replacements. Arsenal had initially set their sights on Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, with reports suggesting Arteta was 'absolutely smitten' with the idea of bringing the Brazilian superstar to north London. But Vinicius committed his future to the Bernabeu with a new long-term contract, forcing Arsenal to pivot to alternatives like Juventus' Kenan Yildiz and PSG's Barcola.
Townsend's verdict on Barcola and Martinelli
Townsend, however, is not convinced by Barcola's credentials, arguing that the PSG forward lacks the end product to justify such a hefty fee. 'I don't see Barcola at the sort of levels that others do, clearly. I don't see him at anything like that sort of money, I really don't,' he said. 'I think he's way behind Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue personally, I think they're far better players. I don't think he's got the end product in his game to warrant £145m, no chance.'
The ex-Ireland international went further, stating that he would not swap Martinelli for Barcola, even if the Brazilian is being linked with a move away. 'I don't think I'd swap Martinelli for him, I don't think I would. Honestly. Martinelli knows this division, he's proven himself now to be a valuable member of Arsenal's team and I don't see that it's that much of a massive trade-up for the sort of money that they'd need to invest in him [Barcola].'
Martinelli's future and Galatasaray interest
Martinelli, Arsenal's longest-serving player, has attracted interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray, who have made an approach for the 25-year-old. Townsend acknowledged that Arsenal might consider selling if the price is right, but he stressed that such a move would not be a straightforward decision. 'It's not like they're wanting Martinelli to necessarily go, I don't think that is ever going to be the case. However, if they got proper money for him then, yeah, they might be prepared to trade,' he explained. 'Trading players for Mikel Arteta, it keeps everything alive and just keeps everything a little fresher around the camp which is very important for any club.'
Questioning the Trossard exit
Townsend also expressed bewilderment at Arsenal's decision to let Trossard leave for a relatively modest fee, given the Belgian's knack for scoring crucial goals. 'Losing Leandro Trossard for the money that they lost him for… I think that was a slightly strange one in some ways because he was always good value for a really important goal, he was a clever player coming off the bench, always wanting to affect the game,' he said. 'I totally got going for Vinicius Junior but I don't get going for just another one.'
Youngsters to watch and upcoming fixtures
Looking ahead, Townsend is eager to see how Arsenal's young talents, Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri, perform next season, with Nwaneri already scoring in a 3-2 pre-season defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. 'It'll be interesting to see if they are really active now in that position or whether or not they're prepared to go with what they have,' he added. 'Max Dowman, it's a big season for him coming up and Ethan Nwaneri, these boys.'
Arsenal return to the Emirates for their final pre-season friendly against Como on Wednesday evening, before facing Manchester City in the Community Shield at Cardiff's Principality Stadium four days later. Arteta's side then begin their Premier League title defence at home to newly promoted Coventry City on August 21.
