Junior Firpo will likely leave Barcelona at the end of this season after Arsenal failed to land him last month.
The full-back was one of Arsenal’s winter targets as they looked to find cover for Kieran Tierney.
The Scotsman is the club’s only option in that position at the moment after they allowed Sead Kolasinac to leave them in the last transfer window.
Firpo hasn’t been the first choice at Barcelona as he waits for his chance behind Jordi Alba.
Having joined the Catalans as one of the most exciting full-backs in Spain from Real Betis, he knows he has to start playing more soon.
Barca refused to allow him to leave in January, even though he had interest from Arsenal and Milan.
Calciomercato says he was interested in the proposal from the Gunners and remains keen to leave.
The next transfer window will offer him the chance to change clubs again, the report claims he could likely leave then.
Arsenal has had to use Cedric Soares as a cover for Tierney recently. The former Southampton man has done well in that position, but he struggled against Aston Villa in the last game.
That showing will have signalled to Mikel Arteta that a natural left-back would be an important signing.
Arsenal needs to try and build up a “war chest” to overcome the overall abysmal transfer business of the past; over paying for players, high wages, then allowing players to run down contracts, giving the Club no bargaining power.
Therefore available funds need to be targeted at areas of greatest deficiency where options are not available from within the Academy. Should Arsenal give opportunities to young prospects, such as was done with Saka and ESR, and they succeed, Arsenal has the choice to integrate them into the first team, thus saving transfer funds or selling them on to gain transfer funds to utilise in strengthening other positions. Joel Lopez Sanguero is a case in point at LB to deputise for Kieran Tierney.