Barcelona will eye a move to bring Arsenal centre-back Gabriel to the Camp Nou this summer, as the Spanish giants prepare for the departures of Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti, according to ESPN.
The Catalan club will likely offer one of Memphis Depay, Neto, or Riqui Puig in return for the Brazilian defender, as they continue their raid of the Gunners following the acquisition of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang on a free from Arsenal, after the Gabonese international agreed terms to mutually terminate his deal with the north London club.
Having watched on from afar, one would imagine the move would be a difficult one for Gabriel to turn down, as his former captain at Arsenal has seemingly injected a new lease of life and goal-scoring form into his game since his move to Catalonia. Aubameyang has already doubled his Premier League tally for the season since his January move to Barcelona, netting eight goals in nine games for the Spanish side, having only notched four in 14 this season in the Premier League before the move.
On top of this, the prospect of playing under a new-look Barcelona side under Xavi is something most players would likely struggle to turn down. Many, including myself, saw Barcelona as a potentially sinking ship after the departure of Lionel Messi, as the club’s financial situation and future appeared bleak. Yet, somehow, Xavi has been able to turn the season around and offer Barca fans a newfound optimism. Ousmane Dembele is enjoying injury-free spells, while the likes of Pedri and Gavi, continue to show glimpses of potential legendary status should they continue on their current trajectory, with their fellow young star, Ansu Fati, another player they can look forward to returning from injury.
Barcelona’s U-turn under Xavi will no doubt reinstate them as one of the more desirable clubs to play for in world football, with Gabriel perhaps set to be the next player to take the leap from England to Spain.
Others such as Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas also made successful moves from Arsenal to Barcelona in the past, though there have been some flops in recent times as well, such as Alex Song and Thomas Vermaelen.
Aubameyang has been a big success, however, when many would have been writing him off at Arsenal, so a raid for another of the Gunners’ top players in Gabriel could be ideal to help the club continue their revival under Xavi.