Barcelona eye Man Utd and Arsenal strugglers in January bargain hunt: report
The Spanish giants need to be opportunistic in the market given their financial difficulties
Manchester United pair Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial are among the out-of-favour players reportedly being looked at by Barcelona ahead of the January transfer window.
Sancho has been frozen out of the first-team squad by Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag and is training alone, while Martial has struggled for game time this season.
Barca could pounce on the uncertainty surrounding both players with a January swoop, in a similar vein to their moves for Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix this summer.
That is according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, who write that Barcelona’s difficult financial situation is forcing the club to be opportunistic in the market.
Sancho is an option due to his likely availability after falling out with Ten Hag, with a resolution not looking likely according to recent reports.
Martial is in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford and could therefore be available for a cut-price fee in January.
The Frenchman has made six appearances this season but almost all of them have come from the bench and United could be tempted to cash in the 27-year-old, who is valued at £13 million by Transfermarkt.
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Barca’s search for a bargain deal might not end there – the outlet also namechecks Arsenal pair Jorginho and Kai Havertz as potential options.
The Italy midfielder is in the final year of his contract, but Havertz has only just joined the Gunners from Chelsea.
Nevertheless, the Spanish newspaper claims that Arsenal are “starting to get fed up” with the Germany forward after a slow start in front of goal.
Havertz is yet to find the net in nine games for Mikel Arteta’s side, but the £65 million fee they forked out in June for him on a deal until 2028 would make a January departure extremely surprising.
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.