Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Arsenal to battle Catalans for PL star, Real Madrid join chase for striker and more — 26th January 2021

With less than a week to go before the January transfer window slams shut, Barcelona have been linked with multiple players but are also going through a dire financial situation due to the pandemic and its repercussions.

The Catalan club are expected to find a way to strengthen despite the situation at the club, which could not have come at a worse time.

That said, here is a look at the top news stories pertaining to Barcelona from 26th January 2021.

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Arsenal join race for Barcelona target Eric Garcia

Barcelona were widely touted to be the leading contenders to sign their former academy player Eric Garcia from Manchester City, with the player's current contract set to expire this summer. However, the delay in Barcelona's presidential elections is said to have thrown a spanner in the works for the Catalan club, with all the candidates preferring against making any big transfers before a new president is elected.

Now, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo (via the Daily Express), Barcelona's hesitation has reportedly paved the way for Premier League side Arsenal to join the race for the 20-year-old center-back. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is understood to be keen on acquiring the Spanish defender, having previously observed him closely during his time as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City.

The report also states that Paris Saint-Germain are another top European side believed to be interested in Eric Garcia.

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Barcelona and Real Madrid interested in Edin Dzeko

According to Mundo Deportivo, Edin Dzeko wants to leave AS Roma in the ongoing transfer window despite his contract only ending next summer. The report claims that the striker wanted to leave the club in the summer but failed.

The report also claims that both Barcelona and Real Madrid are monitoring Dzeko in the hope of signing a quality striker for cheap in the current transfer window, as they look to strengthen their respective sides ahead of a challenging second half of the 2020-21 season.

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Barcelona could be on the verge of bankruptcy

As per reports from Goal, Barcelona have released their financial statements and have aggregated a debt of €1.2 billion, including a short-term debt of approximately €730 million.

This debt has reportedly been caused by a combination of their wage bill, player transfers and the pandemic's repercussions. Barcelona reportedly owe as much as €126 million for past transfers and are allegedly trying to negotiate a delayed due date to pay the same.

With fans still not allowed in stadiums and revenue continuing to dip, Barcelona could be in deep trouble.