Man Utd Miss Out On Vermaelen After Barcelona Agree €19m Deal

The summer transfer window is now well under way and managers are working hard to strengthen their squads ahead of next season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Man Utd miss out as Vermaelen heads for Barcelona.

Manchester United have missed out on the signing of Thomas Vermaelen with the defender set to complete a move to Barcelona this weekend after the Catalans agreed a €19m fee with Arsenal, according to the BBC.

Vermaelen has been hotly tipped to leave the Emirates this summer after losing his place in Arsene Wenger’s first team, and he’s been forced to sit on the sidelines and watch on as Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny form an impressive partnership at the back.

The Belgian international has just entered the final year of his current contract so the Gunners have decided to cash in rather than risk losing him for nothing in 12 months time.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for the 28-year-old in recent months but a deal stalled after Arsenal insisted on having either Chris Smalling or Phil Jones in part-exchange – something United weren’t prepared to sanction.

Wenger admitted on Thursday that he’d prefer to sell his skipper abroad and it appears he’s got his wish as the BBC are reporting that the North Londoners have now agreed a €19m (£15m) deal with Spanish giants Barcelona.

Vermaelen is now expected to discuss personal terms and complete a medical with the Catalans, with the BBC suggesting the move could be officially wrapped up over the weekend.

The news will come as a blow to United as Louis van Gaal had supposedly earmarked Vermaelen as the man to fill the left-sided centre-back role in his new 3-5-2 formation at Old Trafford. However, the Dutchman is going to have to look elsewhere if he wants to bring in an experienced defender to fill the void left by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

For Arsenal, it will be disappointing to see Vermaelen leave as he’s been a model professional during his five years at the club, but €19m is an excellent deal for a player approaching 30 who has one year left on his contract and has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

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The key for Wenger will now be to bring in a suitable replacement, with the Gunners looking extremely light at the back, so fans will be hoping the Frenchman has a plan in place to bring in reinforcements before the close of the window.