With Arsenal already short of options in central midfield, Mikel Arteta could be keen on strengthening his personnel in January and a creative opportunity may have already appeared.
According to El Chiringuito, Barcelona are looking to sell Frenkie De Jong
The 24-year-old joined the club in 2019 and has been one of the standout players since arriving, but the Catalan side needs to raise funds after facing a financial crisis.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Pepe has struggled to make an impact in an Arsenal shirt during the three seasons he has been at the club and with less than three years remaining on his contract, the Gunners are being urged to make a decision on his future.
With Barcelona recently registering interest in Raheem Sterling and then pulling out of the race, Arsenal could use their own winger in Pepe to make a deal for De Jong.
A swap deal should not be considered as bizarre because El Nacional recently reported that Manchester City and Barcelona were planning a swap deal between De Jong and Sterling.
This is certainly a transfer idea Edu could look to replicate as it would make sense for all parties, with both teams reportedly looking to offload the players in question.
De Jong would be the perfect signing for the Gunners due to the qualities he possesses and how he would fit alongside Thomas Partey to create a dream pivot.
(Image: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
It is also a transfer that the Dutch international has hinted at in the past. Speaking to Voetbal International back in 2019, he said: “I actually thought Arsenal was pretty beautiful in the past.
“In my mind I have had the following list for a long time: Ajax-Arsenal-Barcelona, call it the Marc Overmars route But yes, if you can go directly to Barcelona, then you are also right where you want to be. Faster than you ever dared to dream.”
However, for Arsenal to have a realistic chance of completing this deal, they would first need to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, which they haven’t managed to do in the previous five seasons.
Despite this, Mikel Arteta has created a squad that looks capable of qualifying for the elite competition and having De Jong in the team would steer Arsenal in the direction of competing for the biggest trophies.
Pepe’s time at the club seems to be limited, especially after falling out of favour with Arteta in recent weeks. As Barcelona continue their hunt for a winger, the 26-year-old will be a great option to trade if a swap deal was to happen between the clubs.
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