PSG target turns down Liverpool – could affect Arsenal’s business

Yan Diomande has chosen Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool, which could push the Merseyside club towards Arsenal transfer target Bradley Barcola.

David Ornstein reported for The Athletic on Sunday that Yan Diomande has chosen Paris Saint-Germain as his next destination, if he leaves RB Leipzig this summer.

Diomande believes in PSG’s project and wants to play for Luis Enrique, and he sees the move as his best opportunity to compete for trophies and individual awards.

Liverpool had offered Leipzig a €100m package, but Leipzig wanted closer to €130m, and the player himself has now expressed his preference for PSG.

As much fun as it is to laugh at Liverpool’s failure to sign Diomande, it doesn’t present a potential complication for Arsenal’s summer business.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Bradley Barcola’s situation remains open and he’s on Liverpool’s shortlist, and that the player could potentially leave if both Diomande and Maghnes Akliouche join PSG. Barcola has also been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks.

So whilst PSG signing Diomande and selling Barcola could open up the door for Arsenal to sign the winger, it would also mean significantly increased competition from Liverpool – whose alternative target would be off the market.

Arsenal may not end up going for Barcola anyway. There have been suggestions that the Gunners are interested in signing either Barcola or Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, but it probably won’t be both.

So if Arsenal view Rogers as the better option, they’ll likely fade from the race for Barcola. If not, it looks like they’ll have to compete with Liverpool for the PSG man.

• Former Gunner joins Everton in deadline-day move
  Everton completed the signing of former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles on deadline day, with the 29-year-old signing a three-year contract.
• Is Gabriel Martinelli still joining Al-Hilal from Arsenal?
  Gabriel Martinelli’s transfer from Arsenal to Al Hilal still hasn’t been confirmed after Tuesday’s Premier League deadline day, so is the move still going ahead?
• Ex-Arsenal 26yo to complete post-deadline-day transfer to Feyenoord
  Reiss Nelson has completed a free transfer move to Feyenoord after departing Arsenal via a mutual contract termination, according to a report.
• Failed Everton transfer has implications for Arsenal & Chelsea
  Folarin Balogun’s transfer to Everton fell apart late on deadline day, denying Arsenal a sell-on fee and seemingly causing significant problems for Chelsea in the process.
• What happened with Arsenal target Malick Fofana?
  Malick Fofana ended up joining Sunderland on transfer deadline day, after a whirlwind 24 hours during which he looked set to join three different clubs.