Only the cruel lottery of a penalty shoot-out denied what would have been arguably Arsenal's crowning moment in Budapest, with the Gunners so close to potentially even eclipsing the great 'Invincibles' season of 2003/04.

It wasn't to be that night, but there's no sense now of needing to rip things up and start again, with the careful planning and patience that has got the Gunners to this point only set to continue this summer.

It took three years, and multiple windows, for instance, for the north London side to finally invest in a marquee centre-forward, with a similar scenario now emerging on the left flank.

Not since Leandro Trossard's arrival in January 2023 has that department been bolstered, yet with the Belgian's future now in doubt, reinforcements appear inevitable.

Arsenal in constant talks to sign £87m winger after Tzolis

Trossard, so often the 'clutch' figure at the Emirates, could be Besiktas or even Bournemouth-bound by all accounts, with Mikel Arteta lining up a suitable replacement in the form of Christos Tzolis.

Available for a fee of around £35m, the Greek winger wouldn't exactly break the bank nor impact more high-profile additions on that side, likely to raise the floor but not necessarily the ceiling in north London.

Indeed, while Tzolis is the hot topic right now, work appears to be underway regarding further moves, with Arsenal insiders having offered the latest on the club's pursuit of Bradley Barcola.

According to the report, Andrea Berta has been in 'constant contact' with the player's agent for an extended period now, with the Gunners first lodging an enquiry last summer.

Berta appears to have made it clear that the Premier League champions hold 'serious' interest in the Frenchman, and are keen to be kept informed if Paris Saint-Germain do decide to sell this summer.

Arsenal won't be alone in their interest, however, with top-flight rivals Liverpool also in the mix for the £87m-rated speedster.

How Bradley Barcola compares to Tzolis

For a reported fee of around £35m, landing Tzolis appears like something of a no-brainer, with the 24-year-old fresh off the back of racking up 40 goals and assists in the Belgian Pro League last season.

Previously overlooked at Norwich City, for whom he made just 30 appearances between 2021 and 2024, the fleet-footed forward has come alive in Brugge, boasting a ridiculous haul of goal involvements across the last two campaigns.

And yet, Barcola - arguably "one of the best LWs in Europe" in the view of analyst and Como scout, Ben Mattinson - is seemingly a level above, having already proven himself in one of Europe's top five leagues.

Arsenal saw first-hand the 23-year-old's devastating speed and acceleration in that showpiece clash in Budapest, with the PSG substitute memorably lashing into the side net after bursting in behind late on.

The end product was lacking on that occasion, as it was following a similar stellar run in the final a year ago, but there's so much to like about the former Lyon starlet.

Indeed, he's already racked up 152 games at the Parc des Princes, scoring and assisting 76 goals in that time, after previously racking up 19 goals and assists in just 47 games for his former employers.

Barcola notably registered 42 goals and assists in 2024/25 in all competitions, including seven goals and assists as Luis Enrique's side claimed Champions League glory.

His impact was more limited this time around, hence talk of an exit, although he still contributed six goals and assists in 16 Champions League outings, 12 of which came from the start.

For comparison, while Tzolis played just nine games in the competition, he did only score and assist three goals, having also been trumped by Barcola with regard to successful dribbles per game (1.1 vs 0.6) and key passes per game (1.6 vs 1.4).

Barcola does have the benefit of competing in a superior team, but he's proven himself at the very elite level of the game, both domestically and in Europe.

Tzolis' form in Belgium can't be overlooked, but it's worth noting that he was operating in Germany's second tier as recently as 2023/24, having yet to showcase that he really is in that upper echelon of wingers.

The Greece international might be a direct replacement for Trossard, but if Arsenal and Berta are seeking a genuine, marquee upgrade, then Barcola could well be the man.