Barcelona wish to step up their curiosity in Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and can supply up midfielder Philippe Coutinho in trade.
Supervisor Ronald Koeman is on the hunt for a brand new striker this summer time after dropping Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, and a current report famous that each Aubameyang and team-mate Alexandre Lacazette have popped up on their radar.
In keeping with Sky Sports activities Information, it is Aubameyang who’s on the high of the want listing and membership officers are exploring methods to carry him in with out making an excessive amount of of a dent on their funds. President Joan Laporta just lately confirmed the membership discover themselves in €1.35bn value of debt, so costly transfers are out of the query.
To signal Aubameyang, it must be a swap deal, and that is the place Coutinho is available in. Barcelona need rid of the Brazilian and hope that Arsenal would take him in trade for Aubameyang, given they’re on the lookout for a brand new quantity ten this summer time.
90min understands that Arsenal are very happy to take heed to presents for each Aubameyang and Lacazette. The pair are each on the fallacious aspect of 30, taking dwelling huge wages and failing to justify that on the pitch, so the Gunners will entertain any proposals that come there means.
Nonetheless, they’re unlikely to be keen on Coutinho – one other participant approaching 30 – as sources have confirmed to 90min that Arsenal are rising assured of hanging a deal to carry Actual Madrid’s Martin Odegaard again to the membership.
Odegaard is unsettled on the Santiago Bernabeu and can be eager on a return to Arsenal, and the Norway worldwide’s representatives have reached out to the Gunners to debate the potential of bringing him again.
So far as the Aubameyang pursuit goes, Barcelona could discover themselves needing to supply one other participant in trade. They do have loads of fringe gamers, similar to Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic and Neto, however whether or not Arsenal can be keen on taking any of them is a distinct matter.
Barcelona might properly discover themselves needing to focus on one other striker. It is famous that they tried to signal Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham earlier within the window, however they had been pressured to tug out of talks over the Blues’ refusal to budge from their £40m asking worth.
PSG’s Mauro Icardi has been linked with a transfer to Camp Nou, however a swap deal can be Barcelona’s solely means of creating that occur.