Barcelona are monitoring Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin and plan to make a concerted effort to buy him next summer.
The Catalan giants have drawn up a shortlist of long-term replacements for Dani Alves, whose current deal expires at the end of next season, with Bellerin their ideal candidate.
The Gunners are in a strong position to rebuff any bids this year with Bellerin tied down to a contract at Emirates Stadium until 2019 but Barca are set to step up their interest when Alves leaves the club.
Bellerin would then be clear first-choice at the Camp Nou having had another year to develop at Arsenal as Barca look to take back another academy product in the same way they did after Cesc Fabregas left for the Gunners in 2003 before resigning eight years later.
Bellerin was in the youth setup at Barcelona and was close to agreeing his first professional contract as a 16-year-old before Arsenal swooped to sign him in 2011.
He took advantage of injuries to senior players including Mathieu Debuchy to establish himself as the Gunners’ preferred right-back option over the last two seasons and is now worth in excess of £20million given the 21-year-old’s potential as a player and resale value.
However, Bellerin is happy in London for the time being and is grateful to manager Arsene Wenger for giving him the chance to progress his career so Barca face a fight to prise him away.
