Barcelona ‘want to sell’ top Arsenal target after Rashford signing; Gunners ‘make move’ for Anderson

Arsenal have been boosted as they attempt to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson this summer, according to reports.

The Gunners have been in excellent form this season as they lead the Premier League by five points to second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

Their recent form hasn’t been great with Arsenal winning just three of their last eight Premier League matches – but they are still on course to win the title if they win all their remaining matches.

Arteta significantly strengthened his squad in the summer transfer window with over £250m spent on new additions as the Arsenal board backed their man.

The Gunners could once again improve their squad next season with a rumour in January claiming that Arsenal believe that ‘the summer transfer window is the ideal time to make a strategic move’ for Raphinha, as they look to replace Gabriel Martinelli.

And now reports in Spain are claiming that Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is convinced the Catalan giants ‘will sign Marcus Rashford because they want to sell Raphinha’.

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The report adds: ‘Flick believes that if a Rashford deal goes through, it will most likely be to fill the gap Raphinha would leave in the squad. Both players occupy similar attacking positions and could play similar roles within the offensive system. Furthermore, the Brazilian’s potential sale would free up a significant portion of the wage bill, which remains crucial for the club to register new signings and maintain financial stability.

‘At Barcelona, ​​it’s understood that strengthening several positions will require a significant transfer in the market. Raphinha is one of the players who could generate a substantial fee if a major offer arrives from the Premier League, other top European clubs, or Saudi Arabia. The strategy would be to sell a player with a high market value, free up salary space, and use those funds to rebuild the attack with new signings.’

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Arsenal are also looking for a new central midfielder in the summer with Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson on their list of potential targets.

And now a reliable account on X made up of ‘five elite reporters’ has revealed that Martin Zubimendi ‘will review’ his position at Arsenal in the summer with the Gunners ‘making moves’ for Anderson.

The account wrote on X: ‘Exclusive. Arsenal are making moves for Elliot Anderson. The club believe Rice and Anderson can dominate English football in the years to come. Martin Zubimendi and his family will review their position in the summer. Moving back to Spain is not out of the question.’

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