Arsenal eyeing incredible 19-year-old Barcelona talent as successor to Gabriel Magalhaes

Whether or not Arsenal go on to win the Premier League title this season, it’s clear that Mikel Arteta will want to keep improving his Gunners side.

It’s often believed that the best time to improve a squad is when they’re playing at their peak rather than allowing standards or form to drop before deciding which areas to target.

Competition for places is vital, though it could be said that there’s no competition in the heart of the Gunners defence.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are a class apart, and there’s a cogent argument that they’re the best centre-back pairing in the English top-flight.

Arsenal want Barcelona’s Mikayil Faye

Of course, injuries can bite hard if there’s no cover available, and that could be just one reason why Arsenal are apparently targeting Barcelona’s excellent Mikayil Faye.

The 19-year-old has made a couple of Xavi’s squads this season but is yet to make his first-team debut for the Catalan giants.

Calciomercato (h/t TeamTalk) suggest that it’s Faye’s performances for Barcelona’s B team which have caught the eye of the North Londoners.

Barca would surely be loathe to lose such an emerging talent, particularly when they’ve not had a chance to test him against the best of what Spanish football has to offer.

However, the club’s debt may well dictate that sales need to be made, and therefore a transfer for Faye could be reluctantly agreed.

It’s understood Faye has a whopping €400m release clause on a Barca contract that doesn’t end until June 2027, albeit this is largely irrelevant.

No club is going to pay such a ridiculous figure but could negotiate a payment to suit the Catalans, and a package that will benefit the teen in the next stage of his career.