Arsenal are looking to sign a new left-winger and Barcelona will not be triggering their £26million buy-option for Marcus Rashford
There will be scepticism about this but Arsenal ought to consider a potential left-field swoop for Marcus Rashford if Barcelona firmly pull the plug on re-signing the England international.
Barca have already decided they won’t trigger their £26million option to buy, but that’s not concrete confirmation they won’t try to sign the player again following his season-long loan in Catalonia.
If a lower price or second loan can be negotiated, there’s a chance they will still push ahead with a move.
Arsenal would like to sign a new left-winger amid doubts over the futures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa, who can also operate centrally, are among the names of key interest to the Gunners.
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But for a snip of the price, a deal can seemingly be done for Rashford, who still has plenty to give at 28 years old.
He can play on either flank or as a striker and he proved while on loan at Aston Villa that he’s far from finished in the Premier League despite his struggles at Manchester United.
Under the guidance of a demanding coach like Mikel Arteta, Arsenal really could get the best from him, even though they struggled to get a tune out of Raheem Sterling during his forgettable loan spell in north London.
A swoop for Rashford shouldn’t be among Arsenal’s top priorities but if Barcola stays at PSG, he’s the kind of option that really would be worth considering.
What might deter the club and disillusion supporters are memories of the bizarre swap deal between Arsenal and Manchester United involving Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan back in January 2019.
Neither transfer really worked out for any party and in the end, it all felt a bit needless given Sanchez was such a big player for the Gunners prior to his exit.
It shouldn’t put Arsenal off considering Rashford though because it’s clear he wouldn’t be coming to the Emirates Stadium as their biggest signing of the summer.
If Arsenal are unable to land their primary targets of choice, he would be the kind of shrewd addition that would help drive the team on.
The biggest issue would arguably be his salary because that was a sticking point during Barca’s original talks with Man Utd and at this stage of his career, Rashford will be looking for a lucrative contract.
Those are the only grounds where it would be reasonable to rule out a transfer.
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