Arsenal Enquire About the Availability of Barcelona Wonderkid Ansu Fati

Arsenal have made contact to sign the Barcelona winger Ansu Fati in the upcoming summer transfer window, as per fresh reports. Mikel Arteta wants to bring in reinforcements in the forward line to challenge for top honours over the coming years and the Spaniard has emerged as a serious target.

Ansu Fati was one of the most highly anticipated prospects in the world of football when he made his debut for the Spanish giants in 2019. He became the youngest player to score in the history of the UEFA Champions League in the same season.

The 20-year-old is also the youngest player to score for Barcelona. He made eight records to his name just five months into his debut. The Spanish youngster also inherited the number 10 jersey after Lionel Messi departed the club in 2021.

The teenager suffered a knee injury which required him to go for consecutive surgeries, thus, causing him to lose crucial game-time. He is slowly picking up the pace but there have been doubts about whether he will be included in Xavi’s plans which has also prompted Manchester United to consider a move for the forward.

According to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs via GiveMeSport, Arsenal have made an approach to bring Barcelona winger Ansu Fati to the Emirates Stadium. The reporter told GMS that the Gunners have contacted the player’s representatives asking if the player would be interested in a move to the Premier League.

However, Jacobs claimed the Spanish side are not willing to part ways with the 20-year-old forward. The North London side would have to pay a massive transfer fee to convince Barcelona to sell Fati. The Blaugrana could ask for a fee in the region of €100 million for the youngster.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨

Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool have been in contact over the signing of Ansu Fati on the player's side.

No talks with Barcelona yet, but a club-record offer could be enough due to Barca's financial woes.

(@JacobsBen) pic.twitter.com/zvxEjgJHjK

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) February 14, 2023

Nevertheless, manager Mikel Arteta wants to upgrade his midfield options more than his forward line. Moreover, the Gunners have already signed Leandro Trossard in the January transfer window for €30 million. This move for Ansu Fati might be a bit too steep for Arsenal financially.

Arsenal do have enough options in the attack but it seems that the Spanish manager wants more creativity on the left-hand side. Many fans want the club to recruit someone in the midfield but the Gunners are keeping their tabs open for both a midfielder as well as a forward. Arteta will have to protect the teenager considering the physicality of the Premier League and his injury record.

Why Should Arsenal Avoid Spending a Fortune on Ansu Fati?

The North London side already have Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard playing as left-wingers. Martinelli recently renewed his contract with the Gunners till 2027, whereas Trossard has joined the club from Brighton & Hove Albion with a contract till 2026. Both of them are top talents and deserve a fair amount of game-time throughout the season for the quality that they bring to the table.

However, if Arsenal sign Ansu Fati, it will surely compromise the game time of at least one of the three players. The signing of the 20-year-old will also not be a guaranteed hit because of the injury risk he carries around himself. Although he will surely provide a different dynamic to the attacking gameplay that the Gunners currently have.

Barcelona could demand €100 million for the player and the North London side may have no other option but to meet the valuation. Signing a €100-million player and not giving him regular game-time could be very bad business for the club. Arteta might even feel obliged to start the Spanish youngster because of the price tag. However, he may have to be dropped if he suffers from more injuries or poor run of form.

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Nevertheless, Ansu Fati has shown the potential of being a world-class winger in the future. He is only being held back by his injuries but is capable of making a comeback similar to that of Ousmane Dembele.

For Arsenal to strengthen their attack, giving an opportunity to an academy player could be in their best interest. Academy players usually show more hunger to train alongside the senior team regularly. Moreover, they also do not cost any transfer fee and would be more than happy with sporadic appearances.

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