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The Sport suggests that centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is on Barcelona's radar, with Xavi Hernandez said to be an admirer of the Arsenal player.
The La Liga club continue to reap the benefits of signing former Gunners striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the January window. Having seen one of the north London club's players produce great performances and settle in at the club, the Blaugrana are now hungry to bring another talent to Spain.
Arsenal have been criticized for having a weak and shaky defense for many years. They finally seem to have gotten a solid partnership at the heart of the defense. Gabriel and Ben White have emerged as a confident and assured pair for Mikel Arteta, with strong attributes in the air and while on the ball.
It will certainly not be an easy task for Barcelona to prise the Brazilian away from Arsenal. He is 24 years old and is seen as an important part of the Gunners' long-term future. Xavi is looking to clear out the deadwood at the club and this will include defenders Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti.
That means the La Liga giants will essentially have just three centre-back options in Gerard Pique, Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo for next season. With Pique in the twilight of his career, it would be quite sensible to bring in an option like Gabriel to the club.
Barcelona could use some players in a swap deal to match Arsenal's demands
The Gunners paid €26 million for the Brazilian centre-back's signature when they signed him from Ligue 1 club Lille. However, on the back of his good performances for the Gunners, the player is currently valued at around €30 million.
The Sport reports that it will not be easy for Barcelona to convince the English club to sell one of their regular starts. The Spanish club could be pushed to fork out around €40 million for the Brazilian.
However, the Spanish outlet also mentions that Xavi could use players like Riqui Puig and Memphis Depay in a swap deal with the Gunners. Mikel Arteta has great belief in the project he is building at the Emirates. Only time will tell if Barcelona will be able to convince him to give up on one of his defensive assets.
The Gunners have fallen behind in the race to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League after their recent fixtures. Their ability to attract targets next summer could depend on whether they manage to secure Champions League football.
