Both Chelsea and Arsenal are said to be considering hijacking Barcelona's move for outgoing Manchester City youngster Eric Garcia in the summer.
The Spaniard looked like becoming a key part of Pep Guardiola's side after having seemingly cemented his place in the starting XI at the back end of last season.
However, the arrivals of Ruben Dias and Nathan Aké have seen him fall down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium, and he's gone on to make just four Premier League appearances this season.
With the 20-year-old's contract expiring this summer and no news regarding a new deal, it was widely expected that he would move back to boyhood club Barcelona, where he spent nine years in their famed La Masia youth setup.
A verbal five-year agreement between the two parties was understood to have been agreed, but recent reports have suggested that the deal is now in jeopardy following Barça's attempts to go back on the offer that was originally stated.
The Catalan club are said to have halved the offer they'd agreed with the City man, meaning Garcia could yet be heading somewhere other than Camp Nou.
The Daily Star report that Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal have both been alerted following news of Garcia''s sudden availability on a free, and that the London duo could go head to head in a bid to sign the defender.
The report offers little in the way of substantial evidence that the pair have lodged their interest in Garcia, so the links are currently little more than speculation.
The need for defensive reinforcements at Arsenal has been clear for a number of seasons now, while Chelsea's desire to bring in a young central defender would also make a lot of sense given the fact Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta are both entering the twilight of their respective careers.
While both clubs being interested in Garcia is certainly plausible, it remains to be seen whether the reports are accurate.
Source: 90min
