Arsenal: 4 Barcelona players to target amid financial mess

Barcelona do a magnificent job of making Arsenal look like a well run club. They are an absolute shambles and during a summer transfer window unlike any most sides will have ever known, that means they’re there for the taking.

With Arsenal on the hunt for players in up to four more positions this summer – as well as sales – working on the basis that the three heavily speculated ones go ahead as is expected, ensuring the best quality of talent is secured at the cheapest price is the obvious goal.

Appearing to have more money than originally anticipated, if a player crops up on a cut-price deal then Arsenal, like everyone else, are not going to turn their noses up.

They may raise the bar for what a mess is, but Barcelona still have a lot of talent at their disposal.

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Arsenal: 4 Barcelona players to target amid financial mess as La Liga side need to trim €200m (£171m) from wage bill in summer transfer window

As outlined by Goal and summarised by Zach Lowy, it’s a sensational affair in Catalonia. Having already brought in Memphis Depay, Sergio Agüero, Eric García and Emerson Royal this summer, Barça can’t register any of them having exceeded La Liga’s salary cap and need to shed a whopping €200m (£171m).

Already selling Konrad de la Fuente, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Junior Firpo, the club still need to offload players. They’re attempting to flog off Samuel Umtiti and Miralem Pjanic with neither player, unsurprisingly, open to the idea of rescinding their contracts.

Should they somehow manage to loan out Umtiti, Pjanic and Philippe Coutinho – yeah he still exists – they would save €64m in gross salary payments and still Barça would only be able to reinvest 25% of this in new signings and player registrations, as per La Liga rules.

Desperate to get rid of bloated wages, as well as declining players, tough decisions will need to be made on club legends as well as their string of exciting young stars. Arsenal should be taking note and there are four players, realistically(ish), that the club could take a look at.

Stats courtesy of Fbref.*

1. Sergino Dest – Right-Back

With Hector Bellerin due to leave this summer, right-back becomes an area for Arsenal to strengthen. In truth though, if there is anywhere across the team that the club could take a backseat and tend to at a later date when there are less areas elsewhere with higher priority then it would be right-back.

That primarily comes down to feasibility and with a Barcelona firesale on the cards, as well as Arsenal’s healthy relationship with La Blaugrana, it could be the place to target.

The first thought on Sergino Dest is that he still has a full four years left on his contract due to him only spending one season with the club following last summer’s move from Ajax. That would normally be a concern. For clubs eyeing Barcelona players at the moment, not so much.

The American international offers huge attacking output backed up by outstanding ball retention, as witnessed across his time in the Netherlands and his debut campaign in Spain. Sitting in the 96th percentile for progressive carries and 98th for carries into the penalty area, his diagonal dagger-like forays towards the box are particular highlight.

Not a strong tackler – these numbers naturally being low due to the high volume of possession Barça have in matches – his excellent pace, direct approach and high level of technical ability make him dangerous in transition as well as in possession-based outfits.

On the lookout for attacking full-backs to replace Bellerin’s tendencies, knowing big sacrifices will need to be made at Camp Nou and having already brought in Emerson, 20-year-old Dest offers an exciting option that fulfills a need within the Arsenal the squad.