Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been impressed with Barcelona winger Dani Rodriguez, according to a report in the Spanish media, with Hansi Flick’s stance on letting him leave for the Emirates Stadium also revealed.
Both Arsenal and Barcelona are having a wonderful season, with the Gunners the favourites to win the Premier League title and the Blaugrana ahead of bitter rivals Real Madrid in the race for the Spanish championship.
Barcelona, who won LaLiga last season, are four points ahead of second-placed Madrid at the top of the table after 19 rounds of matches.
Meanwhile, Arsenal currently find themselves six points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League title race after 21 matches.
Arsenal have one of the strongest squads in the Premier League and have top-class wingers in Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke.
However, the Gunners, like all major clubs in Europe, are always on the hunt for young talent, and, according to E-Noticies, the north London outfit have identified Barcelona youngster Dani Rodriguez as a potential target in 2026.
The 20-year-old right-winger is a La Masia product and is under contract at Barcelona until the summer of 2027.
The Spain Under-21 international has played just once for the Barcelona senior team.
E-Noticies has reported that Arsenal have taken a shine to Rodriguez, with Gunners manager Mikel Arteta personally keen on working with him at the Emirates Stadium.
The headline reads: ‘Arsenal request the signing of the Barca B star and Hansi Flick gives the green light’.
The report has claimed that Rodriguez is Arteta’s ‘next target’ and has described the youngster as the ‘emblematic player of the Barca youth team and one of the brightest jewels of La Masia’.
Rodriguez won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with Spain in 2024 and was included in the Team of the Tournament.
Arteta ‘wants to strengthen Arsenal’s attacking options and has considered Dani Rodríguez as a future project’, added the report.
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Hansi Flick willing to let Dani Rodriguez leave
According to E-Noticies, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is open to the prospect of Rodriguez leaving for Arsenal in 2026.
Lamine Yamal is one of the best players in the world, and Rodriguez is going to find it hard to get ahead of the Spain international winger in the Barcelona starting line-up on a regular basis.
E-Noticies is a modest Catalan media outlet, and its transfer reports are often speculative.
However, Arsenal’s interest in Rodriguez has been backed by another source.
An X account, LaMasia Report, which has almost 20,000 followers and provides ‘Comprehensive Coverage of FC Barcelona academy – Scout Report & Player Insights’, has reported that Arsenal are keeping tabs on the winger.
The account wrote on X at 8:28am on January 9: “Been told Arsenal are among the clubs monitoring Barça Atlètic’s Dani Rodriguez.
“The 20 year-old winger is on several clubs [sic] radar.
“January move is unlikely ─ summer would be decisive on his future.”
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