According to Sport, Barcelona are interested in centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, with Xavi Hernandez thought to be a fan of the Arsenal player.
The La Liga team is still reaping the fruits of their January addition of former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Blaugrana are anxious to bring another talent to Spain after seeing one of the north London club's players produce fantastic performances and settle nicely at the club. For many years, Arsenal has been chastised for having a flimsy and ineffective defence. They appear to have found a good defensive pairing at long last. Mikel Arteta's Gabriel and Ben White have established themselves as a confident and competent duo with good attributes in the air and on the ball.
It will be a difficult effort for Barcelona to wrest the Brazilian from Arsenal's grasp. He is 24 years old and is seen as a key player for Arsenal's long-term development. Xavi wants to do rid of the club's deadwood, which includes defenders Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti.
As a result, the La Liga giants will only have Gerard Pique, Eric Garcia, and Ronald Araujo as centre-back alternatives next season. With Pique nearing the end of his career, bringing in a player like Gabriel would be a smart move.
To fulfil Arsenal's demands, Barcelona might utilise some players in a swap deal.
When the Gunners signed the Brazilian centre-back from Ligue 1 club Lille, they paid €26 million for his services. However, as a result of his excellent achievements for Arsenal, the player is now valued at roughly €30 million.
According to Sport, convincing the English club to sell one of their regular starters will be difficult for Barcelona. It's possible that the Spanish club will be forced to pay roughly €40 million for the Brazilian. In a swap deal with Arsenal, Xavi might employ players like Riqui Puig and Memphis Depay, according to the Spanish site. Mikel Arteta feels confident in the project he's working on at the Emirates. Only time will tell if Barcelona is successful in persuading him to sell one of his defensive assets.
After their previous encounters, the Gunners have fallen behind in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League. It's possible that their potential to recruit targets next summer will be determined by their ability to secure Champions League football.
blogpay
