Arsenal make enquiry for 22-year-old La Liga ace, Mikel Arteta knows him well

Arteta 2-1 Arsenal Fulham

Arsenal are looking to bring in defensive reinforcements before the summer transfer window closes.

A report from Football Transfers claims that Arsenal are currently working on signing the Barcelona defender Eric Garcia on loan.

Summer signing Jurrien Timber recently picked up an ACL injury and he is set to be sidelined for several months. Mikel Arteta needs to bring in alternatives and Garcia has been identified as a target.

The report claims that Arsenal have already made an enquiry and Barcelona are prepared to let the player leave once a deal for Joao Cancelo is finalised.

However, the Spanish club were hoping to sell Garcia permanently instead of letting him leave on loan.

Arsenal are reportedly open to selling the likes of Gabriel Magalhães and Kieran Tierney to raise funds for players in the coming days. It remains to be seen whether they are prepared to make a permanent move to sign Garcia.

Mikel Arteta knows all about the player having worked with him at Manchester City.

Eric Garcia in action for Barcelona

The opportunity to return to the Premier League could be an attractive option for the 22-year-old.

Garcia will want to regular football at this stage of his career and if Arsenal can provide him with the necessary assurances, he could be attracted to the idea of joining them.

The North London outfit will look to challenge for the league title and they need to plug the gaps in their squad. The injury to William Saliba towards the end of last season derailed their title race and they will not want to be in a similar situation once again. Signing a central defender will be a top priority for them before the window closes.