# No Fresh Contact Between Arsenal and Barcola's Camp After Morgan Rogers Hijack — Liverpool Still Circling on Price Arsenal's attacking rebuild just took an unexpected hit. After being widely tipped as favorites to sign Morgan Rogers for much of the summer, the Gunners were seemingly hijacked at the finish line by Chelsea, with David Ornstein reporting a verbal agreement in place between Chelsea and Aston Villa worth £117 million. In the aftermath, attention has understandably turned to Arsenal's other long-standing attacking target: PSG's Bradley Barcola. So far, though, there's been no fresh contact between Arsenal and either Barcola's camp or PSG — leaving Liverpool as the club still most actively circling, provided the price comes down to something workable. ## Where Arsenal Actually Stand Arsenal's interest in Barcola isn't new — it dates back through multiple transfer windows, with the Gunners consistently mentioned alongside Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Chelsea as suitors for the France international. At various points this summer, reports even had Arsenal "top of the race," with Daily Mail journalist Lewis Steele citing an Arsenal source who believed the club was leading the chase. But interest and activity are two different things, and right now there's no indication Arsenal have followed up with fresh contact since the Rogers deal moved away from them. That's not necessarily unusual — clubs often pause to reassess broader squad priorities after missing out on a top target — but it does suggest Arsenal aren't rushing back into the Barcola race immediately, at least not yet. ## Liverpool's Patient Approach Liverpool's interest, by contrast, appears to be more measured but persistent. The Reds' need in this position intensified after Mohamed Salah's departure left a clear gap on the right side of their attack, and after missing out on top target Yan Diomande — who chose PSG over Anfield — Barcola has emerged as Liverpool's next priority. According to David Ornstein, Barcola himself is open to leaving PSG this summer, wanting regular starting football rather than continuing to compete with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue for minutes. PSG are described as "realistic" about their chances of keeping him, particularly with the club also working to bring in Diomande and Maghnes Akliouche to their forward line, which would push Barcola further down the pecking order. The obstacle, as it has been for months, is price. PSG's valuation has been consistently reported in the region of £116–130 million, a figure that would represent a British transfer record. Fabrizio Romano noted recently that Barcola is no longer considered "untouchable" at PSG, with new contract talks having stalled completely — but he was clear that any move will come down to which club presents PSG with the right financial package, not just genuine interest. Liverpool's approach appears to reflect this reality: they're continuing to track the situation and are believed to remain willing to move if PSG's price becomes more workable, rather than rushing to match a nine-figure valuation immediately having already committed well over £400 million to squad rebuilding in the past year alone. ## What This Means Going Forward With Arsenal seemingly pausing on Barcola for now and Liverpool watching PSG's valuation rather than moving decisively, this situation looks set to run for a while yet. Much may depend on whether PSG's other incoming attacking additions genuinely push Barcola toward the exit, and whether his stated preference for regular football translates into active pressure on the club to sell at a reduced fee. ## The Bottom Line The Morgan Rogers outcome has clearly reshaped Arsenal's summer priorities, but it hasn't yet translated into renewed urgency on Barcola. For now, Liverpool remain the club most actively positioned to pounce — patiently, and only if PSG's asking price starts to move in their direction. *This article reflects transfer reporting as of mid-July 2026 and will be updated as the situation develops.*