Look who Arsenal found: Barca captain can fix two major issues

Sergi Roberto is reportedly set to leave Barcelona at the conclusion of the current season. Thus, Arsenal have been mentioned as potential suitors for the player.

Jurrien Timber was brought in as a new full-back by Arsenal during the summer transfer window. It came after a poor season finale in which William Saliba was out with an injury and Rob Holding started many games.

Due to Holding’s lack of preparation for such important matches during the championship chase, Arsenal faltered in those games.

Timber might have prevented the championship slide last season if he had been at the Emirates.

Ben White or Timber might have played center back, with the other starting on the right. The acquisition was a last-minute attempt to secure those trophies for the Gunners this season.

Timber, unfortunately, hurt himself 50 minutes into his Premier League debut and has not played since, so, the plan has not materialized.

Because their starting back four has been available for most of the season, the Gunners’ defence has been solid. Only Liverpool have allowed fewer goals in the Premier League this campaign.

Nevertheless, it’s believed that Mikel Arteta seems to still be holding out hope that he can strengthen the defense.

Sergi Roberto now on Arsenal’s radar

Jorginho is just one example of the experienced leaders the Gunners have been trying to add to their roster. The most recent rumors have it that Arsenal are seriously considering signing Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto.

Even the team’s current first captain, Sergi Roberto, reportedly has no idea what the future holds at Camp Nou. His performances against Almeria should pave the way for him to start playing a significant role for Xavi this year.

But when the Spanish boss uses all of his midfielders, he doesn’t anticipate Roberto to see much action. A product of La Masia, the versatile player renewed his contract with Barcelona for another year last year.

Once he made his senior debut, he continued his professional career with Barcelona. So, it is believed that the Spaniard’s staying put is his top priority.

If he is forced to leave the Catalan club, however, SPORT reports that the Premier League may prove too much for him to refuse. The right-back is very much admired by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, according to the report.

In an effort to rekindle their interest in the 31-year-old, the Gunners have been monitoring his situation for some time.

Killing two birds with one stone

According to Marca, both Barcelona and Roberto are still optimistic about reaching a deal that would trigger an extension until 2025. As the club continues to manage their precarious financial condition, no official discussions are scheduled at this time.

To save money, Joan Laporta has shipped off and sold star players in recent years. This means that Roberto may be freed if the numbers don’t work out for him.

The veteran has the adaptability, extensive expertise, and exceptional quality necessary to resolve Arsenal’s issues. Despite his prominence at full-back, he sometimes switches it up and plays as a box-to-box midfielder.

To cap off his La Liga season, he started in the middle of the field in a 3-2 win against Almeria, where he scored twice to give his team the win.

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