Arsenal Initiate Contact For £17m-Rated Barcelona Player

Arsenal Initiate Contact For £17m-Rated Barcelona Player

Arsenal have reportedly enquired about highly-rated Barcelona defender Mikayil Faye. The 19-year-old spent the 2023-24 season with Barcelona’s ‘B’ team after joining from Croatian side NK Kustosija Zagreb last summer.

Faye enjoyed regular game time under Rafael Marquez, featuring in 33 matches in Spain’s third tier.

The defender played a key role in helping Barcelona’s ‘B’ side finish third in Group 1, securing a playoff semi-final tie against Ibiza.

Although he has yet to make a first-team appearance, Faye is already being linked with a move away from the Catalan giants.

Arsenal Enquire About Faye Move

Barcelona youngster Mikayil Faye is attracting interest from several top European clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Bayer Leverkusen.

Arsenal are eager to get ahead of their rivals, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Gunners have enquired about Faye’s availability.

The report suggests that Barcelona will demand at least £17m to consider parting with the Senegalese defender.

Arsenal seemingly see Faye as someone who could bolster their current central defensive lineup, which includes William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Jurrien Timber.

As a left-footed defender, Faye could also provide Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta with an additional option at left-back.

Will Barcelona Part Ways with Faye?

With significant interest in Mikayil Faye, Barcelona might leverage a potential bidding war to improve their financial situation.

However, they will be reluctant to let go of the promising defender and may consider offloading other squad members before deciding to sell the Senegal international.

Newly-appointed Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is likely to rely heavily on some of the club’s young talents, including Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Pedri, and Hector Fort.

While Faye may currently be behind these players in the pecking order, he is expected to step up to the first team if Barcelona decides against a summer sale.