Arsenal Reportedly Eyeing Barcelona Midfielder Not Up For Sale, Sources Claim

Premier League contender Arsenal is reportedly taking a look at Barcelona’s on loan player who is not up for sale.

Barcelona and Arsenal are both headlining the transfer rumors these past few weeks. The LaLiga giants have already set the record straight about making massive transfer moves this summer. The Gunners on the other hand, are also planning to do the almost the same thing in English top-flight.

According to a recent report from The Sun (via Besoccer.com), Brazilian midfielder Rafinha is included in the list of Arsenal prospects. Reports claim that Mikel Arteta has is interested in signing Rafinha but there was just one thing that could complicate the situation – he is not up for sale.

The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Celta Vigo. However, he is expected to return to Camp Nou in summer. Despite being Barcelona-bound, Rafinha’s future with the Catalan club is still uncertain. The report further stated that Barca’s manager Quique Setien is still unsure about Rafinha as he does not have a place for him in the team. Push comes to shove, Barcelona will look for a new club to deal the Brazilian.

Sources claimed that Barca will look for a place for Rafinha in England and at this point, Arsenal have been mentioned as early suitors. It has been said that Gunners consider Rafinha as possible reinforcement as they have accepted the fact that Dani Ceballos will almost certainly not continue playing. Rafinha’s Real Madrid loan deal ends in June and he reportedly wants to return to the Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Arsenal are also tangled up in a race to sign Nabil Fekir, a forward rated as Europe's next best dribbler after Lionel Messi. Recent reports state that both clubs have already made moves to sign Real Betis forward . The sensational striker has been viewed by Barca as another option in case the on-going deal with Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanić fall apart. Arsenal on the other hand, have been reportedly chasing Fekir for quite some time now. However, Fekir has already addressed the issue and said that he would only leave Real Betis for LaLiga giants Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Fekir was originally considered by Liverpool after his impressive impressive 23-goal season with Lyon . However, the deal collapsed after Liverpool decided to back down due to concerns over the Frenchman’s knew. This season, Fekir made another remarkable stint for Betis, scoring seven goals and adding three assists in 22 appearances.