Arsenal's Left Flank Dilemma: Options After Vinicius Jr.
Arsenal’s Vinicius Jr. dream is over. For a few days it flickered, fuelled by stalled contract talks in Madrid and the tantalising prospect of Real’s Brazilian superstar forcing a move. Then reality bit. Vinicius signed on again at the Bernabeu, the door slammed shut, and Arsenal’s left flank problem remained exactly where it was: unsolved.
With Julian Alvarez also expected to stay in Spain rather than swap Atletico Madrid for north London, Mikel Arteta’s search for a left winger has moved from fantasy to hard choices.
A thin flank and a clear need
The situation is simple. Arsenal are light on the left.
Leandro Trossard, fresh from an impressive 2026 World Cup, has gone to Besiktas. That leaves Gabriel Martinelli and new arrival Christos Tzolis as the only natural wide options on that side, with Eberechi Eze a possible makeshift solution.
Martinelli is coming off a flat season. Tzolis, while capable of drifting wide, looks more like a No. 10 by instinct and profile. For a team that wants to challenge for the biggest trophies, that’s not enough firepower in a position that defines how they attack.
So where do they turn after Vinicius?
Bradley Barcola: the blockbuster option
If Arsenal were prepared to contemplate the financial earthquake required to land Vinicius, then Bradley Barcola belongs in the same conversation.
At 23, the PSG winger is three years younger than the Brazilian and carries a statistical profile that jumps off the page. He has done his damage primarily in Ligue 1, but his performances in the Champions League have shown he can translate that threat to a higher level.
Crucially, Barcola is unsettled. With Desire Doue ahead of him in the pecking order at PSG, he is exploring the idea of a move. That opens a door for Arsenal — a costly one.
Liverpool have reportedly tabled an offer of €115 million. To get him, Arsenal would have to match that level or go higher. It’s a massive outlay, but this is the kind of player who changes the temperature of a title race: a direct, creative winger with the age profile to grow with Arteta’s core.
If the club truly meant business over Vinicius, Barcola is the clearest like-for-like pivot.
Rafael Leao: a rescue job with upside
Rafael Leao is a different type of bet.
Now 27, the AC Milan forward should be entering his prime, but his trajectory has stalled. His productivity has dipped, his connection with team-mates has frayed, and his game has become increasingly individual.
The numbers tell part of the story. Last season in Serie A, his successful dribble rate fell to under one per game, the lowest mark of his career. For a player once defined by his ability to glide past defenders, that’s a stark drop.
Yet the talent hasn’t vanished. Leao remains a powerful, unpredictable attacker who, under the right coach, could rediscover the devastating form that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting wide players.
His contract at Milan runs for another two years, which changes the economics. Arsenal could try to exploit that situation and push for a reduced fee, arguing that Milan risk losing leverage as the deal winds down.
This is the classic high-risk, high-reward move. Arteta would be taking on a project: rebuilding confidence, sharpening decision-making, and fitting Leao into a structured system. If it works, Arsenal get a top-tier left winger at a discount. If it doesn’t, they inherit Milan’s problem.
Ibrahim Mbaye: the long-term play
Then there is the future-facing option.
Ibrahim Mbaye, 18, is the kind of prospect big clubs fight over before he explodes. The PSG youngster has already been linked with Liverpool in a deal around €50 million, but nothing is close to completion, and any agreement could still be hijacked.
Mbaye made his mark last season in short bursts, mostly off the bench. Used more often on the right but comfortable on either flank, he brought energy and directness whenever he featured. He isn’t yet the finished article, but he doesn’t look overawed at senior level either.
For Arsenal, Mbaye represents a different strategy. Sign a player who can contribute in rotation now, then grow into a starting role over the next few seasons. It would not immediately erase the left-wing question, yet it would align with the club’s broader model of securing elite potential early.
If the priority is long-term ceiling over instant stardom, Mbaye makes sense.
Temptations to resist
Names will keep circling around Arsenal, but not all of them fit the brief.
Julian Alvarez is the clearest example. Atletico Madrid are reported to have no interest in selling him to Barcelona, and Alvarez himself is understood to want to stay in Spain. Put those together and a move to Arsenal looks remote at best. On top of that, he is not a natural left winger. Spending a huge fee on a player who doesn’t actually solve the positional problem would be a misstep.
Iliman Ndiaye, 26, has a stronger case on form. The Everton attacker impressed at the World Cup with three goal contributions for Senegal and backed that up with a standout Premier League campaign. He has shown he can thrive in English football and is entering his prime.
The obstacles are obvious. Ndiaye’s contract runs until 2029, giving Everton control and driving the price up. A fee of at least £70 million has been mentioned. For that kind of money, Arsenal would be better served chasing someone younger with a higher ceiling, such as Barcola or Mbaye. And, again, Ndiaye is not a natural left winger, even if he can operate there.
Nico Williams is another headline name who doesn’t quite add up for Arsenal right now. Spain managed to win the World Cup with him short of full fitness, as Alex Baena covered the left flank and Williams mostly came off the bench. Even so, the Athletic Club star underlined his class, supplying the assist for the World Cup-winning goal.
The issue is the contract. At 24, he is tied to Athletic until 2025, with nine years left on the deal he signed last summer and a release clause believed to be close to €100 million. That combination makes any move extremely expensive and extremely complicated.
The decision ahead
Arsenal started this window daring to imagine Vinicius Jr. in red and white. That dream has gone, but the need that created it has not.
Do they go all-in on Barcola and double down on elite, ready-made quality? Do they gamble on Leao, trusting Arteta to revive a faltering star? Or do they take the longer view with Mbaye and back their ability to develop the next big thing?
The left wing won’t wait. One of these paths will define how ambitious Arsenal really are in the season to come.
