Arsenal are set to have another productive transfer window this summer as the club’s chase for a first Premier League title in over two decades continues. Mikel Arteta has come agonisingly close to winning the crown over the last few seasons but a lack of squad depth in comparison to his league rivals has seen the Spaniard fall short in the business end of the campaign.
The Gunners are expected to land a midfielder this summer with Thomas Partey expected to depart the club as a a free agent at the end of the season and Spanish source Fichajes (h/t 90min) has reported that Arsenal will turn to the Ghanaian’s former club for a replacement with Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios on their radar.
Chelsea have also shown an interest in the 21-year-old, who is having a terrific breakthrough campaign for the La Liga side. The Blues have been thought to be preparing a £58 million bid for Barrios with the fee expected to convince Atletico Madrid into getting rid of the player. Arsenal are set to rival Chelsea and could hold the upper hand over their London rivals.
Barrios would play regularly at Arsenal
Pablo Barrios has been one of Atletico Madrid’s most important players this season with 31 appearances under his belt in all competitions. Diego Simeone has benefitted from his ability to drive the ball forward from deeper areas while the player’s work-rate without the ball ensures Atleti are able to easily close down the opposition’s midfielders quickly and nullify their creativity.
If Barrios were to join Chelsea, however, he might be forced to compromise his minutes as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have enjoyed unprecedented prominence under Enzo Maresca and might continue being employed in a double pivot in the longer run. Already a regular at Atletico, it is debatable whether the Spaniard would be prepared for the reduction in game time.
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Maresca has not switched around his preferred set of midfielders very often this season, so the signs do not look promising for Barrios even if he were to head to Stamford Bridge and hope to convince the manager. Unless he improves his creativity in the final third, there is no reason to think he would be able to trump Caicedo and Fernandez to become a regular first-team player.
With Thomas Partey expected to leave Arsenal, however, the vacant role in midfield could be occupied by Pablo Barrios, who will be used interchangeably by Mikel Arteta as a rotational player to compete with Declan Rice and Mikel Merino. While regular starts might continue to elude him early in his career, Barrios could win over the Gunners coach with his excellent work-rate.
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