Arsenal and Man Utd are reportedly just two of a number of top clubs interested in Ezequiel Barco, but they’ve now been given a hefty price-tag that’s needed to land him.
The 20-year-old impressed for MLS side Atlanta Utd last season as he bagged four goals and six assists in 26 appearances, while he has also represented Argentina at U20 level.
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Versatile enough to play as either an attacking midfielder or a winger, Barco appears to have a promising future ahead of him for club and country, but time will tell if he moves on as soon as this summer or remains in MLS for another season at least.
According to The Mirror, it’s suggested that it will take £19m to prise him away from Atlanta, with Arsenal and Man Utd both specifically mentioned as being interested in the Argentine youngster.
However, they won’t be short of competition with Milan, Inter, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Lille and Valencia all paired with an interest too as that arguably says it all about the potential and talent that Barco possesses for him to receive that level of interest from Europe so early in his career.
That said, £19m is a lot of money for an unproven talent at the top level, but it could be a risk worth taking for one of the clubs mentioned above, and it could be that he secures a move to the Premier League before long.
He would seem to fit the mould of what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is trying to add at Old Trafford as he has prioritised young, talented players since the summer, although given Arsenal’s troubles on the pitch and their ongoing search for a long-term successor to Unai Emery, the Gunners don’t appear to be in a particularly strong position to attract transfer targets right now.