Arsenal have been linked with a sensational transfer move for Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati, according to a recent report from Football Transfers.

Fati has a release clause in his contract of €1 billion – but it’s very likely that Barcelona would be willing to let him go for less than this absurdly high figure.

He is currently on the transfer list at Barca, having failed to impress head coach Xavi. With that being said, he enjoyed a modestly successful campaign in 2022/23, scoring seven goals and racking up four assists over the course of 36 La Liga games – additionally, most of these appearances came from the bench.

At just 20 years of age, Fati’s potential in the modern game seems limitless. He was once touted to be Lionel Messi’s successor at Camp Nou – however, he has not quite lived up to those incredibly lofty expectations just yet.

Where would Ansu Fati fit into the Arsenal squad?

Fati can play in three different positions – he can function as a left-winger, a right-winger and as a striker. He is most comfortable when deployed on the left wing, though, as being played here allows him to cut inside on his preferred right foot.

As such, he will mainly be competing for places against Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard if the Gunners can complete a deal for the young Spaniard.

Beating out either of these two players on a consistent basis will not be an easy task. Moreover, Fati may command a regular spot in the first team.

He is very similar in several ways to Martinelli – he’s an excellent dribbler of the ball, possesses explosive pace and has ice in his veins when presented with goalscoring opportunity. There are few players with more impeccable technical ability than Martinelli and Fati in today’s game.

Would Ansu Fati be an improvement over the Gunners’ existing attacking options?

To call Fati an ‘improvement’ over Martinelli at such an early stage seems like a stretch – the Brazilian has proven he has what it takes in the Premier League, whereas Fati is unproven in England’s top flight.

He is a brilliant player, that much is clear – but is he better than Martinelli? Currently, we don’t think so – but Arteta’s opinion is the only one that ultimately matters.