Deco ready to move for Arsenal target if Barcelona fail to land Marcus Rashford - Reports

Barcelona sporting director Deco is reportedly prepared to move for Arsenal target Leroy Sane if the Catalan outfit are unable to sign Marcus Rashford. La Blaugrana have had their sights on Rashford ever since he spoke about wanting a new challenge away from Manchester United.

They have been working towards a deal to sign the 27-year-old on loan this January. However, it looks unlikely that this will happen. Barca do not have the finances to complete the move, especially because they have been unable to sell off any players in the window.

Their inability to free up space for Rashford in their squad has seen Aston Villa overtake them in the race to sign the winger from Manchester United. This has seen Barcelona's sporting director Deco turn towards an alternative. According to El Nacional, he has set his sights on Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.

The 29-year-old winger will see his contract in Germany expire in less than six months, opening the door for Barca to complete a free transfer for him. This will certainly be cheaper than a permanent transfer for Rashford, as they would need to pay the Red Devils for the winger's services.

However, it will not be an easy task to sign Sane. The winger is widely recognized as a talented option for most teams in Europe, and Arsenal have long had him on their radar. However, Barcelona are reportedly on the verge of overtaking them in the race for Sane.

La Blaugrana are prepared to pay Bayern Munich a low sum of money to sign him in this transfer window, rather than wait until summer. This may be convincing for the Bavarians, who would lose him for free if they cannot sell him now. This season, Sane has scored just seven goals and provided two assists in 24 games.

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Arsenal show interest in Barcelona defender

Arsenal have set their sights on Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, amid rumors about the centre-back's reduced release clause, according to Carpeta Blaugranas. It was heavily rumored that the Uruguayan might leave Camp Nou after spending the first half of this season out due to a t high injury.

Without him in the starting lineup, Barca have established a defensive pairing of Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez. With uncertainty over his future, it looked as though a move to Juventus would happen this January. La Blaugrana eventually convinced him to stay, extending his contract.

However, this new contract includes a reduced release clause of €65 million, which could open the door for any interested clubs. Arsenal have reportedly been in the hunt for another centre-back to improve their depth in the position. As per the aforementioned report, the Gunners could potentially sign Araujo in the coming summer.