Catalans need cover at the back at present.
La Liga champions FC Barcelona are interested in signing out-of-favour Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen in the January transfer window, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
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The in-demand Belgium international has largely once again found himself being surplus to requirements at the Emirates so far in this campaign with Gunners head coach Arsene Wenger instead preferring to go with Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny as his preferred central defensive partnership at the back in north London.
And that has resulted in the defender mainly warming the substitutes bench in the capital, and with this season ending as it dies with the Fifa World Cup in Brazil,Vermaelen is said to be desperate to quit the capital in the winter transfer window and move to a club that will give him enough game time between now and next summer in order to safeguard his position in the Belgium national team.
However, it now appears as though Vermaelen could be offered an escape route from the north London club by none other than Barcelona, who themselves are currently on the look-out for a new commanding centre back to take over from veteran and injury-prone skipper Carles Puyol at Camp Nou going forward.