Barcelona’s decision to pursue the transfer of Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt looks set to push former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen closer to a move back to the Premier League.
The Belgian centre-back has endured a difficult few years with injuries, which initially cost him his place as an Arsenal regular before leading to him making a somewhat surprise move to Barcelona in 2014.
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Vermaelen has played just 44 games for Barcelona since that move, and he’s also spent time on loan at Roma in a bid to boost his first-team prospects.
Still, Don Balon report that Barcelona now look set to make a change in defence by bringing in exciting youngster De Ligt from Ajax.
According to Don Balon, this should lead to Vermaelen finally calling an end to his Nou Camp nightmare, and it seems his preference is for a return to the Premier League.
It remains to be seen if a top English side would really gamble on the 33-year-old at this stage, with his best years looking a long way behind him now.
At his peak, Vermaelen was a star player for Arsenal, but it seems highly unlikely now that he could recapture that kind of form again.