Arsenal are ready to rival Tottenham and Chelsea in the pursuit of Barcelona’s wantaway midfielder Miralem Pjanic.
According to Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Miralem Pjanic is set to attract a potential transfer chase this summer. The Barcelona midfielder is keen on leaving Camp Nou after struggling to establish himself as a key first-team star under Ronald Koeman. And it appears Arsenal have emerged as the latest club to court him.
The north London giants join fellow London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the race to sign Pjanic. The player does not want to join Barca’s pre-season camp and is likely to leave the club on loan, with Arsenal reportedly “negotiating” a potential move.
Barcelona have dominated the news this midweek after RAC1 reported that the club might fail to register any of their new signings, including Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero. It appears they are exceeding La Liga’s salary cap and have to reduce their wage bill by a significant amount
It is also fair to point out that the Blaugrana are yet to even tie Lionel Messi down to a new contract. The Argentine’s deal has expired this July, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
One could thus expect Barcelona to try and offload their unwanted players, with Miralem Pjanic certainly topping the list. The former Juventus midfielder has struggled a lot since joining the club last summer. He mustered only 619 minutes of league football, falling behind the likes of Pedri, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong in the pecking order.
However, that hasn’t deterred Arsenal from making a move to sign the Bosnian international. It is no secret that Mikel Arteta is determined to add more options in the midfield unit this summer in light of Granit Xhaka’s uncertain future at the club.
The Swiss international is reportedly courted by AS Roma, whereas Matteo Guendouzi has already completed his move to Marseille. It has left a huge void in Arsenal midfield, making Pjanic an ideal target.
The Gunners might face stiff competition in the pursuit of the Barcelona midfielder, though. As mentioned earlier, Tottenham and Chelsea are already involved in the chase, with the latter already been linked with a move for multiple midfielders including Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid.
It appears Thomas Tuchel is determined to bolster his options in the middle of the park, in an attempt to mount a title charge next season. Tottenham, in contrast, are hoping to return to top-four contention by finding a proper midfield partner for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
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Recent reports further suggest that even Real Madrid are now eyeing a shock move for the 31-year-old midfielder. It certainly adds another twist to this transfer saga, as Pjanic hopes to move on after a difficult season at Camp Nou.
