Arsenal & Liverpool Eye Nou Camp Raid

Although the summer transfer window is officially closed that doesn’t stop clubs working hard behind the scenes to prepare for future signings, so we’ll keep you up-to-date with all the latest gossip. Today, Arsenal and Liverpool eye a Barcelona starlet.

Arsenal and Liverpool are among the clubs hoping to lure Toni Sanabria away from Barcelona and they could snap up the highly-rated forward for just €3million, according to the Daily Star.

Sanabria is regarded as one of the most promising talents in Barca’s much-famed Academy and has already been invited to play with the first team on several occasions.

However, he continues to play for the Barcelona B team in the Spanish second division and speculation is mounting that the 17-year-old may look for a move in order to make the step up to first team football quicker.

The Star claim that Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in luring the Paraguay international to England and they may be forced to step up their efforts after the Catalans opened talks over a new contract to try and persuade the youngster to commit his long-term future to the club.

The newspaper states that Sanabria currently has a €3m release clause in his youth contract and Barca fear he will become the latest player to be lured to the Premier League with the promise of better wages and a fast track to the first team.

Players can’t sign professional contracts in Spain until they reach 18, and the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool have taken advantage of this ruling in the past and could do so again with Sanabria – who doesn’t turn 18 until March 2014.

Arsenal have raided the Barca youth team on several occasions snapping up Fran Merida, Hector Bellerin, Jon Toral and most famously, Cesc Fabregas, in the past, while Liverpool were able to persuade Sergi Canos to make the move to Anfield earlier in the year.

Both Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rodgers have a track-record for giving youth a chance, so Barcelona may have to work hard to try and persuade Sanabria that he’s better off staying in Spain and waiting for his chance rather than making the switch to England.

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