With Thomas Vermaelen’s departure from Arsenal looking more and more likely as the transfer window progresses, Barcelona have now been declared as possible suitors for the Belgian defender by various journalists.
In my opinion, the Catalan club would be the best possible destination for the Arsenal captain. Here are my three reasons why:
1. Goodwill Hunting
Although Arsenal and Barcelona haven’t seen eye to eye in recent years – mainly due to Barça’s ‘we want Cesc Fabregas back’ campaign – the Gunners would benefit greatly from a civil relationship with the Spanish giants. Both clubs play a very similar brand of football, and this makes Arsenal the ideal location for want-away Blaugranas. We’ve already witnessed Alexis Sanchez make the switch from the Camp Nou to the Emirates, and given the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations – he might not be the only one.
However, it’s not so simple. If we want to ensure we get first dibs on any Barcelona players looking for the exit door, we need to enter an ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’ kind of relationship with the Catalan club. Ensuring Thomas Vermaelen ends up at the Camp Nou by the end of the summer transfer window would be an excellent way of gaining some much needed goodwill from the Spanish giants. Use the page numbers below to navigate through the rest of the article.