Barcelona, Arsenal Reportedly Interested In Europe's 'Next Best Dribbler After Messi,' Source Claims

Barcelona and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Europe’s next best dribbler after Lionel Messi.

It has been widely known in LaLiga that Barcelona is currently negotiating the transfer of Lautaro Martinez and Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanić. However, a new prospect seems to have popped up as recent reports claimed that the Catalans are also interested in Real Betis forward Nabil Fekir.

According to Sport (via Besoccer.com), Fekir is included in Barca’s prospect list. Sources claimed that Fekir could be the other option in case the rumored Barcelona-bound Pjanić will not sign with the club. And if none of the said players will commit, Barcelona could continue looking for opportunities to strengthen the attack.

Pjanić's deal could be a bit complicated at the moment as it has been said that a big part of its completion depends on the decision of Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo. But in Fekir’s case, there’s a good chance that Barcelona could land him as the Catalan newspaper pointed out his good relationship with Barca sporting director Éric Abidal.

The savvy Frenchman is fresh off an impressive 23-goal season with Lyon. This has made Fekir an instant prospect for Premier League giants Liverpool. However, the deal fell through and the popular narrative was that the Reds decided to pull out in the last minute over fears of Fekir’s knee issues.

After playing another impressive year in France, Fekir joined Spanish side Real Betis last summer. The Frenchman also had a productive spell in Spain and was tipped with another move to England. This time around, the 26-year-old is linked to Liverpool rivals Arsenal.

It didn’t take long for the Gunners to notice Fekir at Real Betis. A huge part of the interest was evidently because of his remarkable stint this season, scoring seven goals and adding three assists in 22 appearances. This includes a goal (and a red card) during a notable match against Barcelona.

Fekir also managed to build his reputation as one of European football’s most effective dribblers, averaging 3.3 successful runs per 90 minutes this season. According to Football.london, the other notable remark about the said feat is that the only player who recorded better numbers than Fekir was six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

Barcelona are highly expected to close massive transfer deals in the near future. However, recent reports claimed that the Catalan club is having troubles releasing “dispensable” players as most of them are happy to stay at Camp Nou.