Arsenal are reportedly plotting a €20 million bid in the January transfer window to land highly-rated Barcelona winger Jose Arnaiz.
According to Spanish publication Marca, Arsenal are pondering whether to activate the release clause in Jose Arnaiz’s Barcelona contract and bring him to Emirates. The winger, currently a part of Barcelona B, could even be subject to a bid from the Gunners in the upcoming January transfer window.
When Jose Manuel Arnaiz Diaz arrived at Barcelona in the summer, from Valladolid for a paltry sum of €3.4 million, there was an air of expectation around the winger’s potential. However, the 22-year-old’s rise has baffled many, with the player shining for Barcelona B and for the senior team in the Copa del Rey.
With an unreal burst of pace, a bagful of tricks and a venomous shot in his kitty of talents, Arnaiz has managed to capture the fans’ imagination.
Already top of the goalscoring charts for the B team – 6 goals in 19 appearances, with an additional 4 assists to show for his efforts – the 22-year-old has shown his penchant for scoring is not just limited to the B team, with 2 goals in 2 outings for the senior side in Copa del Rey.
Arsenal are seriously considering paying Barça B player Jose Arnaiz 20M buyout fee during the January transfer window. He arrived from Valladolid for 3.4M. He’s Barça B’s top goal-scorer with 6 #fcblive [marca] pic.twitter.com/vH1BffM6kY
— FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) December 21, 2017
And it is his Copa form that is starting to draw interest from the Premier League. Arsenal are looking to add wingers to their squad, especially with Alexis Sanchez being linked to an exit from the club, be it in January or the summer to come.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s departure has already seen Wenger deploy the likes of Danny Welbeck on the wing and with the options running thin, Arsenal have been linked with several wingers in the recent days, with Hirving Lozano and Leon Bailey the pick of the lot so far.
However, Jose Arnaiz could prove to be a more realistic target and potentially an even better addition to the squad at Emirates. Arsenal’s tryst with Barcelona prospects have always yielded well for the club – players like Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin are proof enough.
Also, the 22-year-old will cost less and is more approachable, given his €20 million release clause, unlike the other aforementioned targets.
Jose Arnaiz is seemingly content with having made his senior debut so soon into his journey at Barcelona B. But, many think that his form warranted a better look-in into the first-team squad at Nou Camp, especially after Ousmane Dembele’s injury. Barcelona is known to give its young players a pathway into the senior team.
But, in recent times, there have been limited promotions, especially with Carles Alena being the only one to make the jump from a youth product to a regular part of the first-team setup. This has also seen several gems depart from La Masia, in favour of other top European clubs.
Arnaiz is already 22 and his performances do show a bit of maturity in his playing style. Arsenal could jump into the January transfer window with a view to activating Arnaiz’s clause and the player, if convinced by Arsenal’s project, could just become the latest prospect to exit Barcelona.
