Arsenal are eyeing a move for Barcelona fullback Xavi Espart but face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, according to CaughtOffside.
Barcelona’s youth system continues to produce players making their mark at the highest level, with La Masia playing a major role in developing some of football’s biggest names.
Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Pedri, Gerard Martin, Marc Benal and Pau Cubarsi are currently part of the first-team setup, while several graduates have made their mark elsewhere. Marc Cucurella, Xavi Simons, Alejandro Grimaldo, Abde Ezzalzouli and Oscar Mingueza are among those now playing important roles at other top clubs.
Espart is the latest youngster to attract attention, having made history in Barcelona’s 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. His goal saw the 19-year-old surpass Sergio Ramos to become the youngest Spanish defender to score in the UEFA Champions League, aged 19 years and 152 days.
That strike took his tally to four goal contributions in eight appearances under Hansi Flick, and it’s no surprise his displays have piqued the attention of clubs.
One of the clubs now looking to sign Espart is Arsenal, according to CaughtOffside, which claims that the Premier League champions
The report adds that the Gunners have watched the 19-year-old live and have compiled a comprehensive scouting report on the fullback.
Exciting fullback
Despite signing a contract extension until 2030 with a release clause set at over £83m, Barcelona could consider holding talks if they receive offers starting from £33-41m amid interest from Arsenal, CaughtOffside adds.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side will need to accelerate their efforts in completing the deal, as the report adds that North London rivals Tottenham have also conducted checks on Espart, while other clubs, including Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, have also shown interest in signing the Spaniard.
Arsenal have Ben White and Jurrien Timber as right-back options and have also deployed Cristhian Mosquera there on several occasions, including last season’s UEFA Champions League final.
Still, the club’s interest in Espart, described as ‘incredible’ by Flick, makes sense, as the youngster could offer the manager a more natural, specialist right-back option compared to the aforementioned trio.
In the ongoing campaign, he has completed 88.6% of his passes, succeeded in 53.8% of his attempted dribbles, and won 60.0% of his duels. Despite standing at 5ft 8in, he has won an impressive 64.3% of his aerial duels.
Defensively, he averages 5.52 recoveries, 6.10 duels won, 3.19 tackles and 2.76 clearances per game in LaLiga this season.
With CaughtOffside reporting Barcelona could be open to talks from offers between £33-£41m, adding Espart to Arteta’s ranks should be a no-brainer, but whether Arsenal beats competition from Tottenham remains to be seen.
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