Advantage Arsenal?
Barcelona reportedly fear Arsenal could be about to beat them to two of their transfer targets next summer.
This claim comes from Mundo Deportivo, who cite rumours that sporting director Marc Overmars could be about to move from Ajax to take up a similar role at Arsenal at the end of the season.
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The Catalan source claim Barca are interested in Ajax duo Kasper Dolberg and Matthijs de Ligt, but that Overmars could also be keen to bring both players with him to the Emirates Stadium.
It remains to be seen if Overmars will indeed end up taking a role at Arsenal, though the Daily Mail reported earlier this month that the Dutchman, who spent three seasons with the Gunners during his playing days, was set to return to his old club.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has not worked with a director of football before, and has previously sounded reluctant to do so.
‘No, director of football, I don’t know what it means,’ Wenger was quoted by Sky Sports when asked about the possibility back in May.
It is not yet clear either if Arsenal and Wenger themselves currently hold a particular interest in signing either Dolberg or De Ligt, or whether Overmars would yield enough influence to bring them to the club without approval from the manager.
Still, Mundo Deportivo claim Barcelona have some reason to fear Overmars’ move to Arsenal, and it may require them to speed up the process of signing either Dolberg or De Ligt before too long.