Arsenal face Premier League title rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
The Gunners currently boast a nine-point lead over the Citizens in the Premier League table, but Sunday’s match could also have some sort of impact on the title race as well as offering the opportunity to win silverware.
Arsenal and City also face each other in the league in April, but it has now emerged that the two sides are also set to battle it out off the pitch in the race to sign a La Liga star.
As reported by Fichajes, via CaughtOffside, both City and Arsenal are monitoring Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, as they search for potential transfer targets ahead of this summer’s window.
Cubarsi is a product of Barcelona’s youth system and has now made a total of 119 appearances for the Catalan giants across all competitions since graduating into the first team.
The 19-year-old featured in Barcelona’s resounding 7-2 Champions League last 16 second leg victory over Newcastle United on Wednesday night, and the report suggests that clubs across Europe are becoming increasingly interested in the player.
Cubarsi has attracted interest from Arsenal and Manchester City (Photo: DDP/Alamy)
Despite interest in the centre-back, the report claims that Barcelona regard the Spaniard as a key player and have no intention of selling him.
Cubarsi has a release clause in his current contract – running until 2029 – which is set at around £431 million, putting the La Liga champions in a very commanding position.
It is claimed that both City and Arsenal are putting together financial proposals in an effort to tempt Cubarsi’s representatives into negotiations, but it appears that the two Premier League sides may face tough battles in attempting to lure the player away from the Nou Camp.