Barcelona have agreed to negotiate with Arsenal over a potential deal for the Catalan giants’ forward Ansu Fati, according to reports in Spain.

Fati has been in and out the team at the Camp Nou this season and Barcelona see him as one player they can raise money for this summer.

The Spain international scored three goals in their final two La Liga matches of the campaign but in reality it was a disappointing season for the 20-year-old.

Barcelona’s financial situation means they need to sell this summer before they can complete the deals that Xavi wants and Fati is seen as a player they can do without, despite his immense potential.

Arsenal have been linked with Fati before and now Spanish publication Nacional claim that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has ‘agreed to negotiate’ with Arsenal. They even go as far as saying he ‘welcomes Arsenal’s offer’, suggesting that the Gunners have submitted a bid for the Spaniard.

Arsenal are “in the line of suitors” for Fati with Paris Saint-Germain also credited with interest but the forward ‘categorically refuses to leave’ the Camp Nou. Despite the Catalans’ willingness to sell this summer for a good price, Fati has made it “clear that he wants to continue” at Barcelona.

Laporta was hoping that “his departure unlocks” the door to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City this summer with a big fee required for the Portugal international. Arsenal have already signed Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz this summer but they will still have a job on trying to finish second or above again.

Gary Neville reckons Manchester United have a got a “chance” of taking second place off Arsenal next season with Manchester City likely to win the Premier League again. When asked if anyone can overtake Manchester City this season, Neville replied: “Sitting here today, it’s difficult to say yes.”

On Manchester United’s prospects, Neville continued: “It’s all dependent on the budget. Under the owners the club has had, I think they’ll probably still finish in the top four, but I don’t think they’ll improve on it. If they got new owners and had £250 million or £300 million to spend, they’ve got a chance of going up to second. I do think they’ve got a chance of taking that spot off Arsenal – that’s up for grabs – but they’d have to spend well.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher added: “I think Liverpool will be in the top four. They signed Alexis Mac Allister early on. They were awful last season and were still in with a shout of the top four with two or three games to go, which I couldn’t believe, considering how poor they’d been in the middle of the season.

“It’s whether they can get back to the level they’ve been at: it’s really difficult to have the season they’ve just had, then add 25 or 30 points to get to where they were before. I’m not sure they can make that jump. But I certainly think they can be at the top of the pack chasing Manchester City. I actually think that Manchester United will improve, but I also think Jurgen Klopp will be so energetic and determined to put things right after how poor it was last season.

“I get the feeling that he would have loved this season to have started as early as June.”

• A Football365 report