Arsenal are the latest to express interest in Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic and have opened talks to bring the Bosnian to the Emirates Stadium on loan.
Barcelona has a mandate to cut costs dramatically and has already offered to terminate the contracts of both Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti, who have both rejected the proposal.
With that door now closed, letting players leave on loan is seen as the most likely option. With Pjanic, a handful of sides across Europe have expressed interest, with Tottenham Hotspur often seen as a leading suitor.
However, we have a little north London derby on our hands here as Sport (via Sport Witness) says that Arsenal have joined in the fun late and have made it very clear that they would be interested in taking Pjanic on loan this season. .
Arsenal have reached out to Pjanic’s representatives to discuss a deal and have informed them that they would be prepared to cover the 31-year-old’s salary, but only if they do not have to pay a fee to sign him on loan.
The same goes for Tottenham. The new manager Nuno Espirito Santo has approved the agreement to sign Pjanic, but the club’s officials will only pull the trigger if Barcelona agrees to wave the loan fee.
Barcelona wants Pjanic’s salaries in the book / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Although it is obviously not perfect for Barcelona, the Spanish side is prepared to listen to all the offers that come. They are so desperate to trim their salary budget that they would let Pjanic join any side that takes his salary.
There are apparently the bare legs from a transfer to either Arsenal or Tottenham, but the biggest stumbler is Pjanic’s preference to return to Italy, and especially former employers Juventus.
Juventus are open to re-signing Pjanic but would need to move some of their own midfielders first. No names are mentioned, but you can expect the highly deserved duo Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey to be at the forefront of the starting lineup.
Juventus are currently behind in the race for his signature, and Matteo Moretto recently suggested that Pjanic’s chances of returning to the Allianz Stadium are slim.
Pjanic wants to join Juventus / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
However, Marca states that “everything indicates” that a loan to Juventus will be closed in the next few days, so it does not seem as if anyone really knows what is happening here.
Juventus is clearly Pjanic’s first choice, but with the Italian side’s slow progress, Arsenal and Spurs will continue to fight in their case.
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