Barcelona are reportedly aiming to prise away Nacho Monreal from Premier League side Arsenal when the season comes to a close. The left-sided defender has been in-and-out of the starting lineup under manager Unai Emery this term but he is still regarded as an integral part of the first-team plans.
According to Don Balon, the Catalan giants are looking into a probable move for the Spain international, whom they consider a back-up option to Jordi Alba on the left side of the defence. It is added that the versatile defender has already held discussions with the Blaugrana chiefs in London regarding the same.
Monreal currently has four months remaining on his existing deal with the north London side but ESPN FC have previously reported that the club have triggered an extension clause to prolong his stay until the summer of 2020.
Should this be the case, the Gunners are likely to make a close assessment over the Spaniard’s future during the off-season, and it will be interesting to see whether they are prepared to sanction his sale for a reported fee of around £8.5m, as per Don Balon.
Monreal has proved a versatile addition to the Gunners squad over the years with the ability to feature in both the left back and central defensive positions. However, he has mostly excelled on the left side of the backline and enjoyed his most productive season last term with six goals and two assists.
The current campaign has not paved the same way with the occasional hamstring concerns, but he has recently started back-to-back league matches against Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur, where he has been effective without any errors.
At the age of 33, Monreal may probably fancy one big-club move before stepping down, but his departure would no doubt disappoint the Gunners supporters. It remains to be seen whether he would prefer to wind up his career with a squad player role at the Camp Nou.
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