Arsenal can take advantage of Barcelona's contract uncertainty to sign one of their emerging young talents. With money set aside for Mykhaylo Mudryk in January there is a need to be efficient with spending to give the best chance of covering all bases in 2023 and that is the aim of Edu this month.
Youri Tielemans is another player with an expiring contract that Mikel Arteta could take advantage of. He is able to negotiate a pre-contract away from the club as he enters the final six months of his deal but it also throws up the chances of signing him early but for a reduced price, dangling the carrot for Leicester.
The same can be done to Barcelona, though their position is slightly stronger. 19-year-old left-back Alejandro Balde has a deal that has entered the final 18-months but the logic is still the same. Should Arsenal wait until the summer and risk him signing a new deal then there is added pressure on Barcelona to either sell him or ramp up negotiations to extend his deal.
