Arsenal's advantage in Ansu Fati transfer pursuit

Stuart Telford

• 9 Feb 2023 20:10 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have been told to balance their books by La Liga, and Ansu Fati remains one of their most saleable assets. Arsenal could have an ace in the hole in the race for the young winger's signature…

Barca must slash €200 million before next season if they are to satisfy La Liga's financial regulations, and most of the squad - save Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele - are available for sale.

Manchester United - who are now the subject of a takeover bid from Qatar - have been linked with a raid on Camp Nou for long-time target Frenkie de Jong as well as La Masia academy graduate Ansu, but Arsenal could enter the fray for the latter.

READ: Man Utd get €200m boost over Ansu Fati and Frenkie de Jong

And the 20-year-old would have a friend waiting for him at the Emirates in Gabriel Martinelli, who went on trial with Barcelona in 2019 before he joined Arsenal from Ituano for just €6.7m.

Martinelli and Ansu 'became friends'

"They were very good, I made the most of it and did my best," he later reflected of his time at Barca. Seeing how they train, knowing the structure of the club, the city was a dream come true too.

"I even trained with Ansu Fati and we became friends. He helped me a lot there and now he’s playing on the main team. He's a boy who deserves everything good that is happening to him."

READ: Arsenal trying to bolt down Saka and Saliba after Martinelli extension

The problem for Ansu is that it has been less good for him at Camp Nou of late, with injury holding up his progress while Dembele, Ferran Torres and Raphinha have been jostling for starts in the wide attacking areas.

Martinelli and Ansu may both prefer lining up on the left, but that doesn't make Cadena SER's reports that Arsenal have been in touch with Fati's agent Jorge Mendes any less likely.

The Gunners were in for Mykhailo Mudryk this winter before Chelsea beat them to the punch, and were willing to go as high as €70m for the Ukrainian, whose favourite position is also on the left wing. Martinelli can play right up front while Ansu is also happy to switch flanks.

Ansu is rated at €27.3m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, but how much Barca would accept remains to be seen. Their financial travails don't give them the strongest bargaining position, however.