Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Riqui Puig from Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
As per a report by Tribal Football, Riqui Puig is set to be made available by Barcelona for a transfer in the summer transfer window. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly among the clubs that are keen on signing the Spanish midfielder, who is also being courted by Juventus and Inter Milan.
Puig arrived at Barcelona in 2013, by joining their famed La Masia academy before subsequently making swift progress within the youth setup. The Spaniard broke into the first-team squad in 2018 but has since only made sporadic appearances for them. His stock has further fallen down this term under Ronald Koeman, who has hardly used the youngster.
The advent of Ilaix Moriba has further relegated him down the pecking order, meaning Puig has managed to amass just 477 minutes of action so far in the ongoing campaign. However, it seems as if he is still rated quite highly outside the confines of Barcelona, as illustrated by the interest from Arsenal, Tottenham and others.
Arsenal will be in need of bolstering their midfield in the summer transfer window, considering Dani Ceballos is set to return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan spell and is unlikely to be signed on a permanent deal. In addition, Joe Willock is being tipped to join Newcastle United permanently, with the north Londoners slapping a £20 million price tag on him.
With Mohamed Elneny only a squad option and Martin Odegaard also facing an uncertain future at the Emirates due to reasons similar to Ceballos, it is imperative to sign a midfielder. To that end, Arsenal have been linked with a move for Julian Brandt, with Puig emerging as a viable target as well. However, they are facing stiff competition from Tottenham in his pursuit.
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Tottenham are in a similar boat as Arsenal, with Harry Winks and Dele Alli having question marks surrounding their futures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Moussa Sissoko is on the wrong side of 30. With that in mind, Spurs have shown an interest in Orkun Kokcu, also a target for Arsenal, and are also hoping to swoop Puig away from Barcelona.
Apart from Arsenal and Tottenham, Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested in the Spanish midfielder, who is likely to be offloaded by Barcelona this summer. What now remains to be seen is if Puig’s time at Barcelona does end this summer, and if either of the north London club manage to secure his services.