Arsenal face another transfer blow as Man City eye up move for Barcelona star

Arsenal are busy in the transfer market this summer as they look to retain their Premier League title while hoping to go one better in the Champions League; however, their hopes to bring a Barcelona star to the club could have suffered a blow as Man City eye up a move.

The Gunners have been linked to several major names this summer, including Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes; however, Eddie Howe has made it clear the Magpies will not make it easy to lose another of their key players.

Should this prove to be the case, supporters will be hopeful that Mikel Arteta does not allow the club to get involved in a transfer saga like Liverpool did last season with Newcastle in their chase of Alexander Isak.

This may mean abandoning their pursuit of Guimaraes and attempting to bring in another midfield option, but one of those believed to be an alternative could be set for a move to Manchester City.

Arsenal were one of the clubs believed to be interested in Marc Bernal, the Barcelona academy graduate, as reported by SPORT and first covered by ESPN.

Barcelona youngster Marc Bernal (Image: Getty)

Man City may be in pole position to bring Bernal to the Etihad Stadium, as they could be set to bid farewell to the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, Rodri.

The Spain captain may be set to make a move to Real Madrid this summer; meanwhile, it is believed that fellow midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez could be set to depart Manchester.

This means that reinforcements in this position will be necessary for the FA Cup holders, and Barcelona’s promising talent is among those Man City are considering to bring to the club.

Despite interest from Arsenal and City, a deal for Bernal appears very unlikely, as his contract does not expire until 2029, while he has a release clause of €500 million.

Enzo Maresca’s side have also been linked to other youthful midfielders this summer with excellent physical attributes and ball control.

It has Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed at the World Cup for Morocco, and Bayern Munich star Aleksandar Pavlovic linked to a move to the Etihad.