Premier League rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham, are reportedly embroiled in a transfer battle for the signature of Real Sociedad winger, Ander Barrenetxea. The young Spaniard has been making waves in La Liga with his outstanding form this season.
Barrenetxea's impressive performances have not gone unnoticed by the north London rivals. Both clubs have scouted the versatile forward towards the end of 2023 as they look to bolster their attacking options. Tottenham has already made a move this month by signing Timo Werner after manager Ange Postecoglou targeted players who could make an immediate impact.
The Spanish wonderkid made history when he debuted in La Liga at just 16 years old, becoming both the first player born in the 21st century to feature in the division and Sociedad's youngest debutant since the Spanish Civil War.
Barrenetxea has proved his mettle with consistent performances
This season, Barrenetxea has been a regular on Real Sociedad’s team sheet with 22 appearances under his belt. He has contributed four goals and six assists to his team's cause including crucial goalscoring contributions across two fixtures against Benfica in the Champions League.
With already 136 first-team appearances for Sociedad, it is clear why Premier League clubs are showing interest.
According to The Sun, scouts from both Arsenal and Spurs will be present at Sociedad's derby against Athletic Bilbao this weekend. Tottenham boss Postecoglou has even compared Barrenetxea to Jota whom he coached during his tenure at Celtic last term.
Spurs and Arsenal are on lookout for attacking reinforcement
While Spurs have already added Werner to their ranks this month, Arsenal remains quiet on their transfer activities so far. They've recalled Marquinhos from his loan spell at Nantes but there hasn't been much other movement.
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has been non-committal about the prospect of transfers this month. However, he did admit that the north London side would be open to deals should they see a need. This comes after Arsenal failed to secure victory in their last four matches with the squad's finishing ability coming under scrutiny.
The transfer battle for Ander Barrenetxea between Arsenal and Tottenham is set to intensify as both clubs look to strengthen their squads. The Spanish wonderkid’s impressive form and potential make him a hot property in this transfer window. It remains to be seen which club will win his signature and how his career will unfold in the Premier League.
