Barcelona Midfielder Holding Out For Arsenal Move

With the summer transfer window in full swing, Football Talk will be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest transfer news throughout the summer. Today, Ibrahim Afellay hopes to seal a move to Arsenal.

Barcelona midfielder Ibrahim Afellay will reject a move to French side Lille and hold out for a switch to Arsenal or Inter Milan, according to talkSPORT.

The Dutchman moved to Barca from PSV for £2.6m in January 2011 but has seen his time at the Nou Camp hampered by injury problems that have restricted him to just 20 La Liga appearances during his 18 months at the club.

talkSPORT claim that the deposed European champions were initially reluctant to sell the 26-year-old attacking midfielder, but it’s thought new boss Tito Vilanova needs to trim his squad in order to raise funds to land top transfer target Javi Martinez, and Afellay has been told he can now leave the club this summer.

The report also suggests the player will reject a proposed deal to join Lille and hold out for a move to Arsenal or Italian outfit Inter Milan, with both sides understood to have registered their interest in signing the midfielder.

If talkSPORT are accurate, i think Arsene Wenger should pick up the phone and call the Catalans now! Afellay would be an excellent addition to the Gunners squad and i could see him being a real hit in the Premier League.

Read more Arsenal transfer news

His injury record is a concern but with his best years still ahead of him he’s surely worth a punt. Plus, he’s known to be good friends with Robin van Persie so perhaps his signature may persuade our skipper to extend his stay at the Emirates.

Would you like to see Afellay at Arsenal? Get involved in the comments section.