Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola as a potential alternative after Chelsea beat them to the signature of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers in a record £117 million deal, according to Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

Rogers had been Arsenal's primary transfer target this summer, but the Gunners were unwilling to match Chelsea's record-breaking fee for a British player. Sheth described missing out as "a bit of a blow," yet insisted the window remains far from over for Mikel Arteta's side.

Barcola's future at PSG in question

Sky Sports News has reported that Paris Saint-Germain could be open to selling Barcola this summer, and may not stand in his way should an acceptable offer arrive. His position at the club has grown uncertain following another season in which he was left on the outside looking in for the biggest occasions.

"If you go back to last season, in PSG's biggest games — the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with Liverpool, the semi-finals against Bayern Munich, and the final against Arsenal in Budapest — Kvicha Kvaratshkelia, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue started all of them," Sheth explained. "Barcola was the odd man out."

Paris Saint-Germain's reported pursuit of Yan Diomande to reinforce their attack could squeeze Barcola even further down the pecking order, making a summer departure an increasingly realistic prospect. "It seems to be a very good fit if Arsenal bring in someone like Barcola," Sheth added.

Berta's multi-target strategy

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta operates a disciplined recruitment model that should give the club flexibility despite losing out on Rogers. Rather than fixating on a single target, Berta identifies three or four candidates for each position and advances negotiations with all of them simultaneously.

"What they try and do is three or four targets in each position that they're looking to recruit in. They will try and get their ducks in a row with all four players, get as far down the line with deals with all four players," Sheth noted. "Then they take a step back and say: 'what is the best value on the pitch, off the pitch?' Then they will decide which player to go for."

Arsenal have already moved in the transfer market this summer, replacing Leandro Trossard with Christos Tzolis. With Berta's pipeline of alternatives in place, the Gunners are expected to redirect their attention quickly — and Barcola sits firmly among the names under consideration.